Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (KMSP), historically known as Wold–Chamberlain Field, is a major joint civil-military hub serving the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. It combines a busy Delta Air Lines and Sun Country Airlines hub with a long-established Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard presence, and its four parallel and crossing runway system makes it a substantial and rewarding destination for simulator pilots flying heavy metal into a major Class B field.
KMSP is a large, joint civil-military international airport lying centrally between downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is a major hub for Delta Air Lines and for Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines, and is also home to Endeavor Air and Bemidji Airlines operations, alongside a resident Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard wing. For a simulator pilot the field offers a busy, multi-runway Class B environment with a long aviation history stretching back over a century, making it an interesting and demanding destination for airline or general aviation operations alike.
The airport lies within Class B controlled airspace and sits in the Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory, with parts of the airport property bordering the city limits of Minneapolis and Richfield. It is centrally located within about ten miles of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, making it the principal air gateway for the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
KMSP has four physical runways. Runway 04/22 is 9,444 ft on the 04 threshold and 10,107 ft on the 22 threshold, hard surface, lit, with ILS. Runway 12L/30R is 8,187 ft from the 12L threshold and 7,981 ft from the 30R threshold, hard surface, lit, with ILS. Runway 12R/30L is 9,976 ft in both directions, hard surface, lit, with ILS. Runway 17/35 is 7,988 ft in both directions, hard surface, lit, with ILS. Field elevation is 830 ft.
Radio services include ATIS on 120.8 MHz, Tower on 123.675 MHz, Ground on 121.8 MHz, Approach on 118.72 MHz, Departure on 132.975 MHz, Clearance Delivery on 133.2 MHz, and Unicom on 122.95 MHz. Additional frequencies are published for the resident 934th Airlift Wing operations, including a base operations channel on 28.267 MHz and command post frequencies on 25.21 MHz and 31.12 MHz. All four runways are equipped with ILS, supporting instrument approaches in a range of weather conditions.
The airport's origins lie in 1919, when local groups took control of the bankrupt Twin City Speedway race track and established Speedway Field on the site; a wooden hangar was built in 1920 to support early airmail services. The Minneapolis Park Board took possession of the field on 1 June 1928, and scheduled passenger services began the following year. In 1923 the airfield was renamed Wold–Chamberlain Field in honour of two First World War pilots, Ernest Groves Wold and Cyrus Foss Chamberlain. In 1944 it was renamed Minneapolis–St. Paul Metropolitan Airport/Wold-Chamberlain Field, with "International" replacing "Metropolitan" four years later in 1948. The current Terminal 1 building was begun in October 1958 and completed in January 1962, with subsequent concourse expansions through the 1970s, 1980s and into the 2000s reflecting the airport's growth into a major hub.
KMSP is operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which also runs six smaller regional airports. It serves as a major hub for Delta Air Lines and for Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines, and is the home airport for Endeavor Air and Bemidji Airlines. As a joint civil-military facility, it hosts the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport Joint Air Reserve Station, home to the 934th Airlift Wing, supporting both Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard flight operations.