Nearly 50,000 travelers expected to pass through MSP Airport during MEA, MAC says

MINNEAPOLIS — MEA week means kids are on break, and many families are expected to travel.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is predicting it will see more travelers from Wednesday through Sunday than it has in years, according to the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC).

The airport estimates up to 46,000 people will move through TSA on Wednesday and Thursday alone.

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"Airlines have scheduled more flights and more seat capacity from MSP in the last year and that will certainly help to meet expected passenger demand through MEA week," said MAC CEO Brian Ryks.

Thursday will see the most departures of the MEA travel period, with 460 scheduled. MAC says seat capacity for flights over the long weekend is up 18% over last year.

MAC recommends travelers get to MSP at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours for an international one.

Travelers going through Terminal 1 are encouraged to check one of the two wait time boards in the ticketing lobby, with the North Checkpoint typically faster than the South Checkpoint.

Travelers going through Terminal 2 have the option of reserving a security line spot for free via MSP Reserve.

Those needing to park their vehicle at the airport can pre-book their spot here and save several dollars a day in the process.

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