MEA school break crowds take off at MSP, with shutdown looming over air travel
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Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is heading into one of its busiest weeks of the fall, as families take off for vacations on the annual MEA school break.
The airport expects about 19 percent more people coming through than usual between Wednesday and Sunday. Thursday is the anticipated busiest day, with 52,000 people expected to pass through security.
“This is kind of an annual holiday for Minnesotans, and we try to work with our airline partners to staff up where we can,” airport spokesperson Jeff Lea said.
That extra staff will be working the information kiosks and guiding travelers through lobby areas. The airport has also added an extra pickup and drop-off lane in the Terminal 1 departures area.
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One potential wrench in travel this year could be delays related to the federal government shutdown.
Several airports around the country have reported flight delays and security backups. TSA agents and air traffic controllers are required to work during the shutdown but don’t get paychecks. Some airports say they’ve seen upticks in those staff calling in sick. Several airports, including in Philadelphia, Chicago and Nashville, have reported delays or ground stops due to shortages of air traffic control staff.
Lea says staffing hasn’t been an issue at MSP. But he said it’s a good idea for travelers to keep an eye on delays at their destination airports and watch for updates from their airlines.
“We're thankful that there's a lot of federal workers that are here on the job and making it possible for Minnesotans and our visitors to travel,” Lea said.
Several Minnesota officials say they’re worried about the travel situation as the shutdown continues. Speaking to reporters at MSP on Monday, state Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, DFL-Minneapolis, called on Republicans to reach a deal with Democrats on health care spending and end the shutdown.
“These folks who are working here are going to be impacted,” Mohamed said. “If you want to know who this shutdown is impacting most, it’s the people who do the work every single day at our airports.”
The MEA break starts on Thursday. MSP officials say they expect busier travel days through Sunday.
