MSP 2020 Vision

In May of 2004, Northwest Airlines commissioned ARUP Consulting to form a plan to accommodate growth at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP) without building a new passenger terminal. ARUP came up with a plan named the MSP 2020 Vision Plan. It accommodates growth at MSP by expanding both the Lindbergh and Humphrey Terminals. On September 21st, 2004, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty endorsed the proposed multi-million dollar expansion plan. The 2020 Vision Plan breaks up the future expansion into three phases which can be started individually, as traffic warrants.

The main part of the plan moves all of Northwest’s competitors, such as American Airlines and United Airlines, to the Humphrey Terminal. Under the proposed 2020 plan, Northwest and its SkyTeam Airline Alliance partners would remain in the Lindbergh Terminal while the Humphrey Terminal would be expanded to make room for all other airlines. The Lindbergh Terminal would also be expanded, in stages, to allow Northwest and its partners room to grow.

In May 2005, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) Finance, Development and Environment committee recommended that the MAC approve $233.7 million for first phase of the MSP 2020 project. At the end of 2005, the MAC approved the airport’s 2006-2012 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) which includes most elements of Phase I of the 2020 Vision Plan.

On April 17, 2006, the MAC voted to delay the 2020 Plan improvements due to slower than expected growth at the airport. Recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) traffic forecasts show that MSP will not reach the previously forecasted 2007 level until the year 2010. Construction work on the MSP 2020 projects is now anticipated to begin in 2008 with completion in late 2010 or early 2011. As of fall of 2009, construction on the 2020 plan has not commenced. There is some question in whether the Northwest and Delta merger will alter the 2020 vision plan.

Note: We are currently seeking further information on this subject!

*Click on a terminal below for details of the MSP 2020 Vision Plan*

MSP Vision 2020: Humphrey Terminal

MSP Vision 2020: Lindbergh Terminal

Graphics on this page are from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport 20/20 Vision proposal written by ARUP Consulting.
Edited to show project revisions.
Content originally written and published by Timothy Hannan.