MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL – Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s Terminal 2 turns 10 next week, marking a decade of remarkable changes and improvements.
In honor of the occasion, terminal food and retail vendors are offering special deals to customers. Lakeshore News and Travel Express offers include 2 for $4 Red Bull beverages, 10 percent off Pepsi products and souvenir specials on T-Shirts, mugs, shot glasses and more. Visit Fletcher’s Wharf May 2-6 for a free slice of anniversary cake with purchase. Those who spend $10 at the Caribou Coffee in Baggage Claim May 2-6 will automatically be enrolled in drawings for coffee-themed prizes. For more information, visit www.shopsatMSP.com and click on “Save.”
When Terminal 2-Humphrey opened May 2, 2001, it housed hometown carrier Sun Country Airlines and charter airlines such as Champion Air, Casino Express, Omni International and Ryan International. The $73 million, 450,000 square-foot terminal had eight gates, with two more under construction. It was a major improvement over the former Humphrey Terminal, a four gate conglomeration cobbled together from an old United Airlines hangar and cargo building.
Ever since it opened, a key feature of the new Humphrey Terminal has been its common-use design. Key facilities such as gates, jet bridges, ticket counters, baggage carousels and computer systems are shared among airlines, not leased exclusively to a particular carrier as they are at Terminal 1-Lindbergh. The common use nature of the terminal provides more scheduling flexibility and makes it easy for airlines to begin service to MSP. Virtually all they need to bring are planes and personnel; the airport provides the rest.
In 2002, the terminal’s first full year of operation, 1 million people flew to and from the facility, and there were 6,442 landings and takeoffs associated with Terminal 2-Humphrey airlines. By comparison, in 2010 a record 2.6 million people flew to or from Terminal 2-Humphrey, and a record 26,117 aircraft landings and takeoffs occurred by airlines there. March 2011 set an all-time monthly operations record for the terminal, with 2,798 aircraft landings and takeoffs by Terminal 2-Humphrey airlines.
The nature of the air service offered at the terminal also has changed dramatically. Gone is regular service by strictly charter airlines. Most chartered service at MSP is now flown on scheduled carriers Sun Country Airlines at Terminal 2-Humphrey and Delta Air Lines at Terminal 1-Lindbergh. In 2010, Southwest Airlines overtook Sun Country as the airline with the biggest operation at Terminal 2-Humphrey. In addition, AirTran Airways and Icelandair provide service at that terminal.
“Terminal 2-Humphrey performs a very different function and serves a very different customer base today than we anticipated when the facility was designed in the late 1990s,” said Jeff Hamiel, executive director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates MSP and six general aviation airports in the Twin Cities area. “The Humphrey Terminal had always been a facility for charter flights to warm-weather destinations, bustling during winter months and into early spring but much less active in other parts of the year. Now, it is MSP’s primary terminal for low-fare scheduled airlines and the one that has accommodated most of our growth in competitive air service in recent years.”
Terminal 2-Humphrey also has more food and retail offerings than it did a decade ago. In addition to Fletcher’s Wharf and Grandaddy’s Bar, people can grab refreshments from Harvest Market, Dunn Brothers Coffee or two MSP Grab ‘n’ Go locations on the gate level or from Caribou Coffee near Baggage Claim.
In 2011, retailer Sterling Works joined long-term retailers Lakeshore News and Travel Express at Terminal 2-Humphrey. The new shop enables travelers to surprise a friend or loved one with handcrafted sterling silver and 18 karat gold jewelry, including items crafted by local and regional artists.
Also, in January 2011, a new skyway opened, providing a convenient, climate-controlled corridor complete with moving walkways connecting Terminal 2-Humphrey to MSP Value Parking and light rail. Next year, a second security checkpoint will be added on the north end of the terminal, near the entrance from the new skyway, helping to speed the security screening process.
The 2030 long-term comprehensive plan for MSP envisions all non-Sky Team airlines moving to Terminal 2-Humphrey within the next five years or so, depending on demand. By 2025 the terminal could be expanded to 34 gates, more than tripling its current size.
“Terminal 2-Humphrey has become a key component in our efforts to attract new and expanded air service to MSP,” Hamiel said. “The facility will continue to grow as demand warrants, with new services and amenities added along the way.”
