New Measures Ensure MSP Passengers Can Travel with Confidence During Pandemic

June 25, 2020

(Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN- June 25, 2020) The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) has launched Travel Confidently, a robust health safety program to ensure the public can be confident when traveling through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

“Working with guidance from health agencies and best practices in the industry, we have adopted a comprehensive program to help keep travelers and airport employees healthy,” said MAC Chief Executive Officer Brian Ryks. “We’re expecting an increase in traffic in July. Whether our passengers return to the skies next month or later in the year, they will experience a very different airport in terms of health safety elements in place to protect them.”

The launch of Travel Confidently coincides with a July travel forecast showing that routes and departures are returning to MSP.  More than a dozen domestic destinations will be added back to the MSP schedule in July as average daily aircraft departures climb to 233, up from 138 in June but still down significantly from the daily average of 554 in July 2019.

The Travel Confidently program is a set of measures adopted over the last few months across the airport in partnership with airlines, concessionaires, federal agencies and others, to give travelers a safer experience on their journeys.

A Travel Confidently messaging campaign is part of the program launch to help encourage travelers and visitors to take actions to protect their own health and that of those around them. The messaging provides particular emphasis on social distancing, face coverings and preventative hygiene.  Passengers and visitors will see the Travel Confidently messaging all along their airport journey as well as at www.mspairport.com.

Here is a summary of the new health and safety measures:

Cleaning:

  • The MAC is building on its top-ranked terminal and washroom cleanliness program (based on results from the Airports Council International Air Service Quality survey).
  • The MAC established a COVID-19 response team for cleaning and has increased frequency and thoroughness of cleaning in all public areas.
  • Focus continues on robust cleaning procedures in all high touch-point areas.
  • In June, the MAC instituted electrostatic disinfectant fogging overnight in public spaces of both terminals

Social Distancing: 

  • The MAC has adopted strict social distancing controls for its employees, as have airlines, retail shops and restaurants, aimed at keeping people six feet apart. 
  • Travel Confidently-branded floor decals and other signage are being placed in both terminals to remind everyone to maintain a six-foot distance whenever possible. 

Face Coverings: 

  • The MAC requires its employees to wear face coverings whenever they are in public spaces at its airports and at other times when a six-foot distance is not possible to maintain. 
  • The MAC strongly recommends everyone wear face coverings in all public spaces at MSP. 

Hand Sanitizing Stations: 

  • The MAC has installed approximately 50 hand sanitizer stations throughout the terminals. More stations will be added as passenger activity increases. 

 Shield Guards: 

  • The MAC has installed more than 130 shield guards throughout MSP Terminals at common-use ticket counters, gate desks, gate podiums, TSA checkpoints, information booths and other locations.  

Trip Planning: 

Pre-booked Parking: 

  • The MAC encourages travelers to pre-book parking. Through use of QR codes, pre-booked parking enables travelers to enjoy touchless entry and exit from MSP’s parking ramps 

 

MSP and Travel Confidently Media and Visual Elements available for download at: https://www.mspairport.com/travel-confidently-media-assets 

The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) owns and operates an airport system that includes Minneapolis-St Paul International (MSP) and six general aviation airports. One of the nation’s largest airport systems, the MAC delivers more than $16.7 billion annually for the local economy and supports more than 90,000 jobs in the region. The MAC’s airports connect the region to the world and showcase Minnesota’s extraordinary culture to millions of passengers from around the globe who arrive or depart through MAC airports each year. Though a public corporation of the state of Minnesota, the organization is not funded by income or property taxes. Instead, the MAC’s operations are funded by rents and fees generated by users of its airports. For more information, visit www.metroairports.org.

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