Minneapolis – Saint Paul International Airport

Tarmac Delay

Contingency Plan

Metropolitan Airports Commission

Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan

Revised: 05.15.17 1

Introduction

The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), the owner and operator of Minneapolis –

Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), has prepared this Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan

pursuant to §42301 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Questions

regarding this plan can be directed to Mr. Phil Burke, Director – MSP Operations at

publicaffairs@mspmac.org. The Metropolitan Airports Commission is filing this plan with

the United States Department of Transportation because it is a commercial service

airport.

This plan describes how, following excessive tarmac delays and to the extent practicable,

the Metropolitan Airports Commission will:

• Provide for the deplanement of passengers;

• Provide for the sharing of facilities and make gates available at the airport; and

• Provide a sterile area following excessive tarmac delays for passengers who have

not yet cleared United States Customs & Border Protection (CBP).

Airport Information

Minneapolis – Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)

Name of person preparing this plan: John Ostrom, Manager, Airside Operations

Preparer phone number: 612-726-5780

Preparer e-mail address: john.ostrom@mspmac.org

Date of submission of plan: 15 May 2017

Airport Category: Large Hub

Contact Information

In the event of diversion or other irregular operations event, aircraft operators may contact

the airport duty manager at 612.726.5111 for assistance. The FAA Minneapolis Tower

and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities maintain constant

communications with the MAC during irregular operations. Requests for assistance may

also be made through those facilities on applicable ATC radio frequencies.

Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan

Revised: 05.15.17 2

Deplanement of Passengers Following Excessive Tarmac Delays

The MAC owns and operates an extremely limited amount of equipment needed to safely

deplane passengers from air carrier aircraft and is, therefore, unable on its own to provide

for the deplanement of passengers. Additionally, MAC personnel are not trained to assist

in the deplanement of passengers using equipment owned or operated by air carriers,

contract service providers or airport tenants. The MAC will facilitate communication with

airlines, ground handlers, fixed-base operators and others who may have the necessary

equipment and personnel to safely deplane passengers on behalf of airlines that have

incurred excessive tarmac delays as soon as practicable after receiving requests from

such airlines through procedures identified in the previous section.

The MAC lists tarmac delays as a hazard within the MSP Airport Emergency Plan (AEP).

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the AEP and the procedures defined

within. The AEP’s Tarmac Delay response plan includes three elements: an MSP

Overflow Aircraft Parking Plan, a Delta Air Lines Deplaning Plan and a MAC Deplaning

Plan.

The objectives of the Overflow Aircraft Parking Plan include:

• Identify available overflow parking space that can be used on a case-by-case basis;

• Allocate parking space in a manner not impacting normal flight operations;

• Maintain taxiway access to and from runways and aircraft parking positions;

• Identify capacity figures that initiate actions to manage overflow parking levels;

• Avoid aircraft diversions;

• Prevent airport closure due to ground movement gridlock; and

• Ensure compliance with DOT regulations.

The objectives of Delta Air Lines Deplaning Plan include:

• Ensure passenger safety;

• Ensure a controlled environment for movement of passengers; and

• Reduce aircraft inventory waiting for gates.

The MAC Deplaning Plan addresses:

• Terminal 1–Lindbergh and Terminal 2–Humphrey gate availability;

• Communication and coordination between the airport and air carrier;

• Authorizations from the air carrier and pilot-in-command;

• Incident Command procedures;

• Safety and security assessments; and

• Transportation services [busing] when practicable.

Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan

Revised: 05.15.17 3

Sharing of Facilities and Available Gates in an Emergency

15 gates at Minneapolis – Saint Paul International Airport are operated under common

use to air carriers and are controlled by the MAC. 103 gates at Minneapolis – Saint Paul

International Airport are under preferential leases to air carriers and are not fully controlled

by the MAC. The MAC will make common use gates available to an air carrier seeking

to deplane at a gate to the maximum extent practicable. If additional gates are needed,

the MAC will direct tenant air carriers to make preferential use gates and other facilities

available to an air carrier seeking to deplane at a gate, during those time periods when

the tenant airline is not using or not scheduled to use the gates, to the maximum extent

practicable.

Sterile Area Following Excessive Tarmac Delays for Passengers Who

Have Not Cleared United States Customs and Border Protection

Minneapolis – Saint Paul International Airport has defined sterile areas at Terminal 1–

Lindbergh and Terminal 2–Humphrey that can accommodate limited numbers of

international passengers. The MAC will communicate with local Customs and Border

Protection (CBP) officials in a timely manner to request that international passengers who

have not yet cleared United States Customs and Border Protection be deplaned into

defined sterile areas, to the extent practicable, when the need is identified by the MAC or

another appropriate party. CBP may require actual clearance and/or deplaning in

accordance with CBP procedures, and CBP will ensure that the MAC and the appropriate

air carrier are notified accordingly. CBP will communicate and coordinate clearance

issues for all international aircraft as outlined in the MSP-MAC ‘Diversions and

Unscheduled International Arrivals at MSP’ memorandum, dated May 1, 2001; updated

May 11, 2017.

Public Access to the Emergency Contingency Plan

The Metropolitan Airports Commission will provide public access to its emergency

contingency plan by posting it on the airport’s website: www.mspairport.com