One of the 20 busiest airports in the United States is shutting down a key runway on Monday for safety renovations.
In the spring, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) closed down its south parallel runway–Runway 12R-30L–from April 14 through May 23 for the first round of safety maintenance work.
Starting tomorrow, August 18, the second phase of the project will get underway. As a result, Runway 12R-30L will be shut down from August 18 through September 26.
Once again, the focus will be on improving runway grading, drainage and shoulder improvements.
“This work ensures that critical airport infrastructure maintains the highest level of safety for handling aircraft operations and conforms to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specifications,” said the MSP Metro Airports Commission (MAC) website.
What will change
According to the MAC, which owns Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, nearby residents “may notice a temporary change or increase in activity over their neighborhood, depending on the flight patterns and runway configurations chosen by the FAA during the upcoming construction.”
With Runway 12R-30L out of commission, MSP will adjust its airport runway operations to accommodate traffic while also trying to eliminate as much disruption as possible.
“The FAA has also stated they will be implementing traffic management initiatives to control the flow of aircraft in to and out of MSP during the closures as a way to provide the most efficient and safe use of the airport,” the MAC explained.
MSP remains a major flight hub
According to Stratos Jets, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is the 18th busiest airport in the United States, based on passenger enplanements.
Overall, the airport managed 37.2 million passengers and 342,140 departures and arrivals in 2024, its busiest year since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The MAC also reports that the airport generates an economic output of $15.9 billion and supports nearly 87,000 jobs,” adds Simple Flying.
