Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport sets international travel record as traffic continues to grow
The number of travelers using Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport grew nearly 7 percent last year, marking the fourth straight year of an increase.
More than 37.2 million people flew through the airport in 2024, a 6.9% increase from 2023. The record for most travelers was set in 2019 with 39.5 million airline passengers, according to the Metropolitan Airports Commission.
In a press release Tuesday, the commission said the growth was buoyed by international flights. A new MSP record was set for international travel in 2024 with more than 3.6 million travelers using the airport.
Airlines at MSP travel to 32 different international destinations.
'In the past year, we celebrated the addition of several nonstop routes to Europe,' said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. 'Aer Lingus resumed service to Dublin, Delta added Dublin to its destinations, and Lufthansa launched year-round service from MSP to Frankfurt. Overall, we had strong performance from our airlines, expanding global connections and adding capacity and destinations across the U.S.'
The growth from 2024 was most evident at Terminal 2, which had a nearly 12 percent increase in travelers. Sun Country Airlines, which is the largest carrier in Terminal 2, added 13 new destinations last year.
The three most widely used airlines at MSP based on passenger numbers were: Delta (69.5 percent), followed by Sun Country (11.5 percent), and Southwest (4.8 percent).
MSP Airport was ranked first for mega airports for the second time last year by the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
The Airports Council International named MSP as the Best Airport in North America for the 25 million to 40 million passenger category through its global passenger survey program.
Travel + Leisure readers ranked MSP as its best U.S. airport in the 2024 World's Best Awards.
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