Recently some South Minneapolis residents have raised concerns that aircraft departing Runway 30R at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) are turning north sooner off of the straight-out runway heading than has been done in past years. Metropolitan Airports Commission staff analyzed the points at which aircraft turned off of the straight-out runway heading after takeoff in June 2012 and compared the results with June data from the years 2007 to 2012.  When the distance aircraft travel before initiating their northbound turn is measured from the intersection of Runway 30R and Runway 4/22, the analysis showed that, in 2012, aircraft traveled an average of 2,610 meters after passing that intersection before initiating the turn.

When comparing the June 2012 average distance covered before aircraft initiate the northbound turn with historic data, it was determined that over time aircraft have progressively extended their straight-out flight segment before turning north. In 2007, the average distance an aircraft traveled past the intersection of Runway 30R and Runway 4/22 before initiating a northbound turn was 2,424 meters; in June 2009 it was 2,509 meters; and in June 2012 it was 2,610 meters. The following table provides all of the average turn location distances from 2007 to 2012.

In summary, the analysis findings establish that aircraft departing from Runway 30R at MSP are not currently turning northbound as immediately after takeoff as they did in past years.

For more information, please contact the MAC Noise Program Office at 612-726-9411.