The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) has unveiled the\nTravel Confidently MSP Education Center at Minneapolis-St. Paul International\nAirport (MSP). This one-of-a-kind facility features a mock aircraft cabin\ninstalled inside Terminal 1 to support airport and public safety training and\nserve airport programs that help build travel confidence through pre-flight\nexperiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis unique facility will be a hallmark for MSP\u2019s programs\nthat support equitable and inclusive travel,\u201d said Brian Ryks, executive\ndirector and CEO of the MAC. \u201cThanks to a generous donation from Delta Air\nLines, we can provide a life-like training environment without the use of an actual\naircraft, which will build confidence in air travel for more people in our\ncommunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Travel Confidently MSP Education Center will serve\nmultiple purposes, most notably enhancing the Navigating MSP Program, which\nprovides flyers with sensory, physical, or cognitive disabilities, or those\nwith a fear of flying, a place to practice boarding and gives service dogs the\nability to become familiar with the surroundings of an aircraft cabin. It will\nalso allow airport public safety professionals and airline support crews to\nfurther train in a realistic setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are always looking for ways to build travel equity,\u201d\nsaid MAC Chair Rick King. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to take air travel for granted, but for\nmany it presents unique challenges and requires different resources. The Travel\nConfidently MSP Education Center is one more way we can provide resources to\nthe community and lower the barriers to flying for as many people as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new space features a 33-foot-long mock aircraft cabin\nthat was previously used to train Delta\u2019s in-flight teams in Atlanta, GA. The\ncomponents of the former training cabin, and 42 seats from a retired Boeing\n737, were shipped to MSP and reassembled in its new space, near gate C16.\nAirport Foundation MSP was another key partner with the MAC on the\nproject. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re grateful for our ongoing partnership with the MAC and\nAirport Foundation MSP, who have furthered Delta\u2019s efforts to create a world\nthat is more inclusive and accessible for all,\u201d said Mary Loeffelholz, Delta\nAir Lines\u2019 vice president of operations at MSP Airport. \u201cGiving back to our\ncommunity is deeply rooted in Delta\u2019s beliefs and values, and through the work\nof our people, we are very much looking forward to the ways that this facility\nwill impact the MSP community.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Arts@MSP program, a joint program of the MAC and the\nAirport Foundation MSP, facilitated a community project to enhance the visual\nexperience of the new center. Local youth artists from Minneapolis-based\nJuxtaposition Arts\u2014Ethan Nevalainen, Athena Ali, Greta Kotz and Taylan De\nJohnette\u2014created the artwork on the outside of the aircraft and additional art\nthroughout the center. Collectively titled \u201cEquanimity,\u201d the artwork creates a\nrelaxing and welcoming atmosphere for users of the space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n