Will Airport—and Airplane Noise—Expand?

Many Minneapolis-area residents probably got an unpleasant shock when they opened their newspapers on Sunday.

According to a story in the Star-Tribune, the Metropolitan Airports Commission is looking to add $1.5 billon worth of new airport facilities in the comming years, to handle what they see as a big boost in passenger traffic.

"Unless the economy totally collapses, there is going to be growth in the market here," said Dennis Probst, executive vice president of the airports commission. Citing the presence of numerous Fortune 500 firms in the region, he said, "The business community is going to continue to travel unless folks start pulling out of here."

Some of Southwest Minneapolis' elected representatives aren't too keen on the plan. Minneapolis City Councilmember John Quincy told the paper he's not sold.

"We've built an awfully big box already," Quincy said. Citing high grades for the airport from critics and uncertainty about demand, he asked, "Why do you need to spend another billion dollars on an airport expansion?"

Any future expansion would give some people living below or near flight paths subsidies to buy soundproofing materials, but how much remains to be seen.