Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport sees busy weekend, closer to pre-pandemic numbers

Despite the lingering pandemic and recent staffing trouble for airlines, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport saw more signs of a return to normal this weekend as travelers flocked for a busy weekend.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Inside Terminal 1 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the summer travel season is in full swing.

"People are feeling free again. They feel like they are Americans right? So people want to get out," said air traveler Linda Miller of Detroit.

Airport officials say more than 37,000 passengers went through security checkpoints on Sunday, the highest number since Memorial Day, although not as high as several days over Spring Break back in March.

Officials at MSP say that number is just 10 percent below the same day back in 2019 before the pandemic began.

"I think for at least the foreseeable future, every weekend is going to be a busy weekend at MSP," said Kyle Potter of Thrifty Traveler.

Potter says pent-up demand is prompting Americans to return to the skies in higher numbers than the airlines have seen over the last two years.

But with more crowded airports come longer lines, like one for baggage drop at Delta Airlines which stretched from one end of MSP to the other, as all the airlines struggle with staffing shortages.

"People are itching to get back out there and we are going to continue to see that come through in how busy airports are, including MSP," said Potter.

Potter says only traveling with a carry on could make flying the friendly skies a smoother experience.

"I think you just have to take some deep breaths, be excited about where you are going, and what comes ahead, comes ahead," said Miller.