Metropolitan Sytems Information Statement 1989

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(1) Minneapolis -St. Paul International Airport An international hub and one of the busiest airports in the United States, MSP covers nearly 3,000 acres. Many areas on the airport are currently being updated and improved. A public -use airport, MSP operates as the center of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) airport system. MSP is considered ' a ¶transport airport) and accommodates major/national and international flights as well as )regional/commuter operation. Northwest Airlines is the predominant airline at the airport. However, there are two full service FBOs that serve general aviation aircraft at MSP, Page Avjet and Van Dusen Airport Services. Services range from tiedown and hangar facilities, to major repair services. There are land and development encroachments' that could inhibit future landside facilities expansion. The general aviation public has parking and terminal facilities separate from MSP that are located around the FBO operations. General access to the airport is discussed below. Access to MSP is provided by I-494 and Route 55 (see Fxhibit I-4). There is currently a great deal of highway/roadway construction in the area as part of a larger effort to improve transportation in the Minneapolis -St. Paul metropolitan area. There are also efforts to boost airport access and parking, including the addition of a 2,300-space parking structure across from the main terminal building. (2) Reliever Airports Reliever airports are general aviation airports in metropolitan areas which are intended to reduce congestion at large commercial service airports by providing general aviation pilots with alternative landing areas, and providing more general aviation access to the overall community. FAA standards for reliever airports do not specify the number of relievers required for a region. Rather, the number of airports in a reliever system is determined by activity I-6