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MSP named the most efficiently managed airport in North America

The Air Transport Research Society (ATRS) has awarded Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) its 2013 Airport Efficiency Excellence Award. The award recognizes MSP as the most efficiently managed large airport in North America.

 

Considered the most comprehensive independent evaluation of global airport performance, the ATRS study compares the efficiency of 195 airports and 26 airport groups in Asia, Europe and North America. ATRS ranks efficiency using a formula that considers metrics such as aircraft operation and passenger volumes, non-airline revenue streams, the number of airport employees and other operational expenses. The study employs statistical methods to remove the effects of the economic factors beyond managerial control in order to compare different airports fairly.

“While the Metropolitan Airports Commission and MSP International Airport receive many awards, I am particularly proud of this one because it so clearly reflects our Minnesota values: operating a safe, welcoming, no-nonsense facility that is as big on amenities and services as it is short on waste and ostentation,” said Metropolitan Airports Commission Executive Director/CEO Jeff Hamiel.

A Minnesota native who has led the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) since 1985, Hamiel said that to minimize costs and attract air service, the MAC maintains a smaller staff than comparable airports, takes a practical approach when it comes to developing and maintaining airport infrastructure, limits budget increases and guards against cost overruns, generates significant revenues from non-airline sources, and maintains one of the highest bond-ratings in the industry to keep the cost of borrowing low.

“MSP is one of the most vital public facilities in Minnesota, generating more than $10 billion a year for the local economy,” Hamiel said. “The health of Minnesota’s economy is intimately tied to the strength of its airport, and that fact is central to our management strategies and decisions. We strive to manage MSP in ways that are financially, environmentally, socially and operationally sustainable long-term.”

More than 33 million people a year travel through MSP, which is served by every major domestic airline except Jet Blue.

The 2013 study indicates the world’s most efficient airports are more likely to pursue non-airline revenue streams, outsource more services to expert service firms, and specialize in handling full-service carriers or low-cost carriers rather than both.

The ATRS is headquartered in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

Findings of the 2013 report are based on a year-long analysis of data from 2011 collected by the ATRS Research Team and guided by 16 leading academics from Asia, Europe and North America. The report of the study can be obtained at www.atrsworld.org.