The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) has promoted Eric Gilles to director of planning within its Planning and Development Division after a national search. The MAC owns and operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and six general aviation airports in the Twin Cities.
Promoted from senior airport planner, Gilles will oversee all planning and coordination of long-term planning and airport layout plan campaigns with internal and external partners, including serving as the liaison with local, state and federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration. He will coordinate closely with staff to ensure planning activities align with the development of the MAC’s capital improvement program in addition to managing related zoning and environmental review processes for MAC properties. This new role acknowledges the growing volume of planning activities required at the MAC to support strategic growth and operations across the airport system.
“Eric Gilles has been instrumental in guiding stakeholders through the recently completed MSP 2040 Long-Term Plan and is now leading similar efforts at Flying Cloud, the MAC’s busiest general aviation airport,” said Bridget Rief, MAC vice president of planning and development. “His leadership has established a trusted planning process that supports responsible airport growth while upholding our commitment to provide excellent service for travelers, stakeholders and our many airport communities.”
With more than 15 years of experience, Gilles joined the MAC in 2022. Prior to that, he was a senior aviation planner with HNTB; with his primary focus on serving many MAC projects, he also completed planning work across the country’s largest airports.
Gilles holds a bachelor’s degree in airport management from the University of North Dakota and is a licensed pilot. He has earned FAA aircraft rescue and firefighting certification and holds Certified Member and Airport Certified Employee designations from the American Association of Airport Executives.
