The number of travelers using Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport grew nearly 7 percent last year, marking the fourth straight year of an increase.

More than 37.2 million people flew through the airport in 2024, a 6.9% increase from 2023. The record for most travelers was set in 2019 with 39.5 million airline passengers, according to the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

In a press release Tuesday, the commission said the growth was buoyed by international flights. A new MSP record was set for international travel in 2024 with more than 3.6 million travelers using the airport.

Airlines at MSP travel to 32 different international destinations.

“In the past year, we celebrated the addition of several nonstop routes to Europe,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. “Aer Lingus resumed service to Dublin, Delta added Dublin to its destinations, and Lufthansa launched year-round service from MSP to Frankfurt. Overall, we had strong performance from our airlines, expanding global connections and adding capacity and destinations across the U.S.”

The growth from 2024 was most evident at Terminal 2, which had a nearly 12 percent increase in travelers. Sun Country Airlines, which is the largest carrier in Terminal 2, added 13 new destinations last year.

The three most widely used airlines at MSP based on passenger numbers were: Delta (69.5 percent), followed by Sun Country (11.5 percent), and Southwest (4.8 percent).

MSP Airport was ranked first for mega airports for the second time last year by the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.

The Airports Council International named MSP as the Best Airport in North America for the 25 million to 40 million passenger category through its global passenger survey program.

Travel + Leisure readers ranked MSP as its best U.S. airport in the 2024 World’s Best Awards.

— Kristi Miller

Probation officers authorize strike

Ramsey County probation officers and Teamsters Local 320, the union representing more than 200 probation officers in the county, announced Tuesday their members approved a strike authorization.

Teamsters Local 320 represents 213 probation officers in the county.

Union officials say they want wage parity with Hennepin County probation officers and overtime parity with other correctional institution personnel in Ramsey County. Their other concerns involve professional development and probation officer seniority issues.

Ramsey County’s minimum entry-level pay and maximum experience pay for probation officers are currently the lowest in the seven-county metro area, according to union officials.

If the county does not agree to negotiate further, the union will file an intent to strike notice, which includes a 10-day period before the start of a strike and mediation. If no agreement is reached, union members can then strike.

The county and the union have been negotiating since October. Represented employees with settled union contracts and most unrepresented employees receive annual wage increases of 3% in 2025, 3.5% in 2026 and 4.5% in 2027, according to the county. A modernization of job classifications also has county government wages increasing by an average of 2%.

“We’re committed to continuing these meaningful bargaining table conversations. To ensure these talks remain productive and respectful, it’s essential that negotiations take place in the appropriate forum,”

county officials said in a statement.

— Imani Cruzen

Former UW chancellor sues to teach again

A former chancellor who was fired after regents learned he was producing pornography is suing the University of Wisconsin. Joe Gow wants to get reinstated as a communications professor.

UW system regents fired Gow as the La Crosse chancellor in December 2023. He lost his backup teaching job last September after a faculty committee recommended he lose his professorship as well.

Gow is unapologetic about the pornographic videos, YouTube show and e-books that he and his wife have produced. His federal lawsuit filed on Monday accuses the university of violating his free speech rights and seeks reinstatement and lost wages and damages.

Universities of Wisconsin spokesperson Mark Pitsch said the system doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

— Associated Press

Court candidate backs ‘power to pardon’

The Republican-backed candidate in Wisconsin’s pivotal state Supreme Court race said Monday that he thinks anyone convicted of assaulting law enforcement officers should serve their

entire sentence, but he also didn’t object to President Donald Trump using his power to pardon.

Trump has received bipartisan criticism for granting clemency last week to about 1,500 rioters who were convicted of crimes related to Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Presidents have the power to pardon,” said Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County judge and former Republican attorney general on a press conference call. “President Biden has issued pardons. President Trump has now issued pardons as he’s come in and presidents over history have done that.”

Schimel made that comment when asked about Trump’s pardons of those convicted in connection to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. In a follow up statement to the Associated Press, Schimel appeared to disagree with Trump’s pardons of those who attacked police.

“Anyone convicted of assaulting law enforcement should serve their full sentence, attacking our men and women in uniform is never acceptable in our society,” Schimel said.

— Associated Press