MSP Airport gets $20 million to expand Terminal 2

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has received a $20 million federal grant to help pay for the two more gates at Terminal 2, the smaller of the airport's two terminals.

The money comes from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Terminals Program, part of a $5 billion fund that was part of President Joe Biden's infrastructure law. The grant was announced Thursday by Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both Democrats.

Noting that MSP is among the busiest airports in the country that employs several thousand people, Klobuchar said in a news release the grant will help "improve the travel experience for passengers and maintain its position as a top-ranking airport."

The funding will help pay for two new gates, Gates H15 and H16, on the terminal's north side and is part of a project expected to cost $240 million, according to the Metropolitan Airport Commission's (MAC) long-term plan. Work on the expansion is expected to begin this spring, with the new gates opening in 2027, according to the MAC, which operates the airport.

It's unclear which airlines will use the new gates; the MAC has said the expansion is needed to accommodate a growing number of passengers at Terminal 2. Currently, Sun Country, Southwest, Allegiant, Condor, Frontier, Icelandair, and JetBlue fly from there.

Close to 35 million travelers flew in or out of MSP last year, the third consecutive year of growth for the airport, and the most since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"MSP is a critical transportation hub and economic driver for communities across Minnesota," said Smith, adding the investment will help ensure the airport has "the capacity to meet demand."

Last year, the MAC announced a $242 million overhaul of the main concourses and gate areas at Terminal 1. The renovation of six of the seven concourses there is set to be finished by late 2025.