Brian Ryks, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), shared some practical advice for travelers through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and touched on plans for Eden Prairie’s Flying Cloud Airport when speaking to the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce earlier this month.
The MAC, a self-funded organization founded by the Minnesota Legislature in 1943, oversees MSP and six reliever airports, including Flying Cloud Airport (FCM). Located south of Pioneer Trail and west of Flying Cloud Drive, FCM is the busiest airport in the MAC’s reliever system, with more than 100,000 takeoffs and landings per year.
The MAC recently completed the public comment period for a long-term plan for Flying Cloud Airport. Intended to address airport facilities and traffic through 2040, the main changes planned at FCM include updating the safety areas around runways and moving the air traffic control tower, Ryks told the chamber audience.
“It’s a great plan. I think it’ll serve the airport well. It will open up some additional expansion, business opportunities,” Ryks said of the long-term plan for Flying Cloud Airport.
Changes planned for Flying Cloud Airport
While Flying Cloud Airport’s three runway lanes will retain their length and location, the updates will change the taxiway to the main runway so that aircraft will not need to cross a parallel runway, Ryks said. He noted that runway safety upgrades are required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) once an airport exceeds 500 annual operations by its most demanding aircraft – known as the airport’s “critical aircraft” – of a certain size.
FCM’s previous critical aircraft were of the Cessna Citation III size, with a 53-½-foot wingspan and maximum takeoff weight of 22,000 pounds, according to the MAC’s FCM long-term plan documents. Existing and future critical aircraft at Flying Cloud Airport are of the Bombardier Challenger 350 size, with a 69-foot wingspan and maximum takeoff weight of 40,600 pounds.
“Probably the most important part of this was building a new air traffic control tower,” Ryks said of the Flying Cloud Airport plan. Groundbreaking for a higher tower, located more centrally within the airport, will likely take place in the first or second quarter of 2026, he said. Line-of-sight issues prevent building on the existing control tower’s location.
Ryks said building the new tower will allow the MAC to more fully develop Flying Cloud Airport, such as building additional hangars and support facilities. “Most likely we’ll develop on the south side before we get too far up to the north side,” Ryks said.
Flying Cloud Fields are adjacent to the northwestern corner of Flying Cloud Airport. Under a lease with the MAC, the City of Eden Prairie operates soccer, football, baseball/softball, and lacrosse fields in this location. The city approved a six-year lease of this airport property in 2024, with the possibility of two three-year extensions after 2029.
“I don’t foresee, from the community perspective, having to be up in this area for a few years,” Ryks said. “The city likes the ballfields and the programs that are up there.”
Ryks did not address noise from Flying Cloud Airport in his presentation, and no one asked about it during a question-and-answer session. The long-term plan notes that FCM maintains a voluntary noise abatement program.
How to make MSP Airport pickup easier
The majority of Ryks’ presentation to the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce focused on MSP Airport.
Over the past 10 years, he said, the ratio of originating versus connecting traffic at MSP has completely flipped. It’s now about 70% originating and 30% connecting; 10 years ago, the ratios were reversed.
That shift, Ryks said, has “placed more pressure on our front of house: roadways coming in, ticketing, baggage areas, TSA screening checkpoints, all of that.”
Renovation at Terminal 1 ticketing and baggage claim areas swapped escalators for elevators and enlarged baggage carousels, Ryks said. It also added details like mezzanine contours shaped like Minnesota lakes and Minnesota bird call sounds as baggage carousel alerts.
Additional remodeling will add more restrooms and concessions to Concourse G, and the MAC is working on a Terminal 2 expansion, anticipated to be complete in 2027, that will add two new gates, Ryks said.
Eventually, the MAC would like to have a connection allowing people to move between Terminal 1 and 2 without having to go through security again, Ryks said. The MAC must get approval from the Metropolitan Council for its long-term plans.
In response to questions, Ryks acknowledged a crowded and confusing experience at MSP for people picking up arriving passengers. During times of expected heavy demand, such as winter holidays or spring break, the MAC has added digital signage saying “Congested Use All Lanes,” Ryks said.
“What that means is: take the upper lanes,” Ryks said. Although travelers are conditioned to go out the door on the baggage claim level to meet their ride, Ryks said, “Tell them to go upstairs,” as the departure and ticketing area is likely to be less crowded.
Additionally, Ryks reminded attendees of the free 15-minute parking available in MSP’s ramps that allows people to park, then enter the airport and meet their arriving passenger. He mentioned a possibility of extending the time limit on the free parking.
He also said that MSP added an express pickup lane last year for passengers arriving to Terminal 2. After walking across the skyway, the passenger arrives at curb frontage in the parking ramp dedicated to the express pickup, Ryks said.
At Terminal 1, “The key is, those first two ramps closest to the facility are starting to get close to end-of-life,” Ryks said. He added that he would anticipate rebuilding the parking ramps to maintain vehicle parking availability, but with modifications.
“That will be the key to support additional curb frontage and additional lanes just to provide more drop-off and pickup area,” Ryks said.
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