Long delays reported at MSP Airport following 8.1" of snow
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twin Cities' latest winter storm continues to take a toll on those attempting to fly in and out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
On Thursday morning, WCCO's Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield reported significant lines at TSA checkpoints. Even the line for those with Clear access was in the realm of a 20-minute wait as of about 9 a.m.
Whoa 😳- never seen @mspairport like this. Ever. Heads up - even for you frequent fliers, @Clear lines are 20 minutes plus - @TSA Precheck South end seems to be fastest bet. Get there early! 😳 pic.twitter.com/WEgAL5t1Ou
— Susan-Elizabeth (@susanelizabethL) December 22, 2022
On Wednesday, the FAA issued a "Ground Stop" at the airport Wednesday evening, halting planes from landing and departing for less than an hour.
Ahead of Wednesday's winter storm, multiple airlines began offering flight waivers to anyone willing to consider changing their flight.
"The weather is that unknown factor," said MSP Spokesman Jeff Lea. "We sort of have a general range of what may happen, but what will happen remains to be seen."
Lea says MSP projected Thursday and Friday to be the busiest travel days ahead of the Christmas holiday, but says early numbers reflect Wednesday being busier than anticipated – something he attributes to travelers attempting to beat the storm.
"I think people are already worried today what their flight might be for Friday," Lea said.
MSP has additional staff on hand during the busy travel weekend to help flyers navigate through lines of security, Lea said.
"Everybody's got extra personnel," he said. "That's kind of how we operate in holidays and that peak travel."
Not all travelers were curious about the idea of taking a flight waiver.
"Sometimes when I'm traveling alone, I'm interested, but definitely not today," said Anna Halverson, who planned a flight out of state. "Especially with the storm coming, we're just better getting out before a blizzard potentially hits and delays travel."