Travel at MSP Airport surges during Labor Day weekend, but officials expect slow down this fall

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - MSP Airport was busier this holiday weekend than it has been for the last few months, but airport officials aren’t sure this is part of a long-term trend.

For many travelers, the long Labor Day weekend was their first time on an airplane since the pandemic began.

“We got emails from United saying, your plane has been disinfected,” said Christina Lucas, of Troy, Ohio. “When we got on the plane, they gave us wipes to wipe off anything we needed to wipe off in our seat area.”

Airport officials say they saw a spike in air travel for the holiday with security checks topping 14,800, making for a 20 percent increase from previous monthly averages.

Officials say air travel at MSP is still down 70 percent from where it was a year ago, which is slightly higher than the 95 percent drop it experienced back in April.

Travelers we spoke with believe the airlines are taking proper safety precautions, like disinfecting airplanes between flights and requiring passengers to wear masks.

Officials are expecting a typically slow fall, especially since business travelers haven’t returned in the numbers leisure travelers are starting to.

They say it may take a vaccine to get the majority of people to feel comfortable flying the friendly skies once again.