This Midwest Airport Is Widely Recognized As North America's Best

The Midwest is home to some of the busiest airports in the U.S., each with its own unique reputation. On one end of the spectrum, you have the notorious Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), known as one of the absolute worst for layovers. But don't let that tarnish your view of the region, because it's also home to some of North America's best airports, like Michigan's Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). The true crown jewel of the Midwest, though, is the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). In 2024, for the third consecutive year, MSP was named the Best Airport in North America by Airports Council International (ACI). Yes, you read that right — the Twin Cities' own MSP bagged a three-peat!

Despite ranking as the 19th busiest airport in North America, with nearly 35 million passengers passing through in 2023, MSP never lost sight of what matters most — stellar customer service. And this award is no fluke, as it was based on votes from actual travelers. ACI's survey, which gathered feedback from 595,000 travelers across 400 airports in 95 countries, weighed factors like cleanliness, security, ease of navigation, and the check-in process. MSP practically aced them all. 

"Flying through MSP isn't just transit; it's an experience crafted with care," Luis Felipe de Oliveira, director general of ACI World, said in a press release. "Success in the Airport Service Quality Awards underscores the ability to make every passenger have a memorable and enjoyable airport journey."

But ACI isn't the only one showering MSP with love. Travel data firm Cirium also handed the airport two shiny trophies in 2024 — both the Top Large Airport and Top Global Airport awards. For its annual On-Time Performance Review, Cirium crunched the numbers on nearly 300,000 flights worldwide, with MSP coming out on top with its 84.44% on-time rate, beating out the likes of Rajiv Gandhi International in India and El Dorado International Airport in Colombia. If you want your flight to actually take off when it's supposed to, MSP is where you want to be.

It's not just the awards talking — travelers online can't get enough of MSP, either. Travel influencer @BellaValise took to TikTok to gush about how, unlike other airports, MSP actually makes you want to stick around. With its variety of shops, seamless navigation, plentiful signage, and even relaxing spaces for those not lucky enough to lounge-hop, she found that she's in no rush to flee the terminal when she's there. Over on Reddit, the praise keeps flowing, too. One user wrote, "Great bathrooms, short security lines, good (local) food options, few delays (due to general preparation for all sorts of weather), close to the city, easily accessible by transit." Another user highlighted its practicality, praising the fact that it doesn't need any "flashy" amenities to impress. "It's functional, well organized, clean and has enough food and convenience options, without the prices being too exorbitant," they said.

For the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the sky's the limit. Determined to keep its reputation for top-notch customer service, the airport is rolling out a series of projects aimed at making the traveler experience even better. In November 2023, Kare11 reported that MSP kicked off another phase of its "Airport Modernization Program," which is basically a fancy way of saying  that Terminal 1 is getting a major glow-up. Think upgraded concourses and upgraded gate hold rooms that'll make waiting for your flight much more comfortable.

"These are important investments to maintain our award-winning passenger satisfaction rankings as MSP has earned the best large airport in North America for six out of the past seven years," said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airport Commission. "It's another major investment to create brighter, more modern spaces that complement MSP's award-winning customer service."

And don't worry, Terminal 2 isn't getting left in the dust. According to The Minnesota Star Tribune, Terminal 2 is set for a massive overhaul as part of a $9 billion expansion plan that stretches out until 2040. Travelers can look forward to new parking ramps, better passenger pickup and drop-off areas, several new gates, and even an automated people mover. Of course, these plans might evolve, but rest assured, MAC isn't just throwing darts at a map. As Bridget Rief, MAC's vice president of Planning and Development, put it, "We're very good here about building when we need things, we don't build things and then wait for people to fill it up."