Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Proposes $860 Million Expansion

The Metropolitan Airports Commission has sent a proposed $860 million expansion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to its staff and commission subcommittees for study and analysis. It expects to take a definitive position on the plan by December.

"This is a plan, not the plan," said MAC chairwoman Vicki Tigwell.

MAC staff, consultants and commissioners will assess how the plan fits with the airport's needs, the soundness of the plan's timetable and projected cost, its impact on other airlines and how it may need to be tweaked, Tigwell indicated "There are a zillion questions," said commissioner Mike Landy.

The commission operates the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty had asked dominant carrier Northwest Airlines and the MAC to work together to formulate an expansion plan. He announced it last week at an airport press conference.

But several MAC commissioners expressed reservations about the proposal.

Commissioner John Williams said he was concerned that the forecast of 55 million passengers a year passing through the airport by 2020 is "very liberal." The airport now serves about 33 million passengers a year.

At this time, the proposal is Northwest Airlines' plan, said commissioner Coral Houle. She said she is hopeful that it will evolve into a Minneapolis-St. Paul plan.

"This is an enormous plan," Houle said. "And I think it will be very important that we have a feeling among the commission members that we (all) have a role to play."

The Twin Cities is fortunate to have a major airline that wants to grow, said commissioner Paul Rehkamp. But the airline's interests are not his primary concern.

"I will not be rolled," he said. "I'll base my judgment on what's good for the Minneapolis-St. Paul community, and not necessarily Northwest."

Eagan-based Northwest is pushing the big airport expansion, saying it's critical to the airline's growth and efforts to turn around its fortunes. The carrier has lost more than $2 billion on its operations since the start of 2001.

"The only way to get back to profitably is by continued growth," said Northwest executive Michael Mahoney.

Under the proposed plan, the airport's lesser Humphrey Terminal would add 12 gates, giving it 20. The larger Lindbergh Terminal's gates would rise from 117 to 151 by 2020. The Lindbergh would also get a 400-room hotel.

Northwest and its regional and alliance airline partners would then have the Lindbergh Terminal to themselves. All other airlines would shift to the Humphrey, which is now primarily used by Mendota Heights-based Sun Country Airlines.

User fees, federal grants and added charges passed on to passengers would fund the project. No state or local tax support is anticipated, at this time.