About the MAC
The Minnesota Legislature created the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) in 1943 to promote the efficient, safe handling of air commerce and to develop the full potential of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area as an aviation center.
As a public corporation of the state, the MAC generates the revenues it needs to operate through rents and user fees, not general tax appropriations. The bonding and financing authority – along with MAC-generated cash and state and federal aviation grants and fees – fund capital investments in the MAC’s seven-airport system.
The MAC is committed to a sustainable future and has set goals and created organizational structures that reflect its commitment to sustainability.
The organization is governed by a 15-member policy board. The MAC board establishes policies and ordinances and provides financial oversight, including approving budgets and large expenditures.
Minnesota’s governor appoints the board chair and 12 commissioners, eight representing metropolitan districts and four representing Greater Minnesota. The mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul are commissioners but may appoint a representative to serve in their place. The chair and mayoral appointees serve at the will of the elected officials who appoint them. All other commissioners serve staggered four-year terms, providing continuity when administrations change.
In 2023, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan reappointed Chair Rick King and Commissioners Braj Agrawal, Yodit Bizen, Carl Crimmins, Dixie Hoard and Rodney Skoog to the MAC Board through January 2027.
Notable actions the board took in 2023
- In June the board approved the publication of the draft MSP 2040 Long-Term Plan for review and public comment. The plan helps the MAC prepare for future growth in passengers and air service demand at MSP, and reflects feedback and input gathered through an extensive stakeholder and public engagement process.
- In August the board approved a dynamic discount program for pre-booked parking at MSP. This allows the MAC to deliver special rates and promotions to travelers who book parking at Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and the Quick Ride Ramp parking facilities in advance.
- In December the board approved a three-year, $2 billion capital improvement program. This includes major investments to construct a Safety and Security Center, continued expansion of Terminal 1 G concourse, and a 168,000-square-foot expansion of Terminal 2.
2023 Awards
In recent years, the MAC has received multiple awards for its work across a variety of areas including financial management, construction projects, airport concessions, winter operations and customer service.
In 2023, Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) named MSP the Best Airport in North America for 2022, the sixth time it has received the title in the past seven years.
Additionally, MAC CEO Brian Ryks was recognized for his leadership with ACI-NA’s Excellence in Visionary Leadership Award. The award honors Ryks’s 37 years in the airport industry. During that time he has served at every level, starting his career at the MAC in 1986 as a noise technician.