Airlines Operated Larger Aircraft at MSP in 2022 to Meet Increasing Passenger Demand 

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) surpassed 310,000 operations in 2022, an increase of 2% compared to 2021. Meanwhile, passenger activity increased by 24% to 31,241,822 total passengers – read more about MSP’s 2022 passenger and operations statistics here.  

The greater increase in the number of passengers compared to the increase in the number of flights is related to a shift in MSP’s current airline fleet mix. Airlines are using aircraft with more seats per flight across their route networks, resulting in more passengers across fewer operations.  

Smaller regional jets, such as the CRJ900 with 70-76 seats and the CRJ200 with 46-50 seats, were the most flown aircraft at MSP from 2004 to 2021. In 2022, the most flown passenger aircraft at MSP became the Boeing B737-800  with150-180 seats, closely followed by the Airbus A321 with 170-200 seats, while the CRJ900 fell to third .   

Replacing older, smaller aircraft with newer and larger planes is more efficient for fuel and airspace considerations. The switch also equates to less overall aircraft noise due to quieter engine technology and fewer operations. 

The B737-800 and the CRJ900 are featured in our Meet the Fleet video series that shares behind-the-scenes information about different aircraft types using MSP. The award-winning video content also features commentary from pilots explaining interesting facts about specific aircraft, identifying characteristics, common routes flown and up-close footage of the fleet. Check out the series.