Flight delays, longer wait times at security possible as surge in passengers hit MSP for MEA weekend

State lawmakers and educators are raising concerns that travelers flying out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for the MEA long weekend will face flight delays and long waits at security checkpoints if the government shutdown does not end soon.

The fears come as the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) forecasts that 52,000 people will pass through security checkpoints at MSP on Thursday and 50,000 on Wednesday, the two busiest days over the annual school break. That represents about a 19% jump over average passenger volumes during the early fall, the MAC, which owns and operates the airport, said.

The weekend surge comes as some U.S. airports have seen flight delays as air traffic controllers have called in sick as their paychecks have stopped until the federal government approves a new budget.

Effects have been minimal at MSP so far, MAC officials say. But they advise passengers to be prepared for delays and longer wait times.

MSP’s federal partners have worked to maintain passenger security and air traffic control at normal operational levels, a statement from the MAC said.

“We’re grateful for the thousands of federal workers who are continuing to support air transportation at MSP and across the country during the government shutdown,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission. “While there have been minimal impacts so far at MSP, passengers may experience delays and longer wait times wherever they fly in the days ahead.”

At issue, officials say, is federal workers, including TSA agents, need health care premiums to remain affordable or they may stop coming to work.

While acknowledging that many people have travel on their mind with the long school break starting Wednesday, VanDassor said workers are not being paid and face double-digit health care increases if Congress does not extend subsidies for Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans.

“How long can they hang on?” she asked.

As of midafternoon Monday, there were 78 flights in or out of MSP delayed and six canceled, according to the flight tracking website Flightaware.com. Security wait times were less than 10 minutes most of the morning.

Airlines serving MSP and the MAC have increased staffing levels to assist travelers and reduce wait times for check-in and security processes, the MAC said. Still, officials encourage departing travelers to arrive at the airport at least two hours in advance of a domestic departure or three hours before an international departure.

TSA officials say 61,000 of its 64,000 employees are excepted or exempt, meaning they continue screening at the nation’s airports during a shutdown. But an extended government shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports, a TSA spokesman said.

Should the prospect of a canceled or delayed flight make passengers feel uneasy, Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, said travel insurance is not a silver bullet.

“What is covered is not a sure thing,” he said. “Read the fine print.”

While MSP has held up well so far, disruptions Monday in Boston, New York’s Kennedy and Newark, N.J.’s Liberty airports and those last week in Philadelphia, Nashville, Burbank, Calif., and San Francisco have the potential to snowball, Potter said.

“Essential workers are only willing to do it for so long,” Potter said.

He said airline travelers should watch the news to keep a pulse on things and hope Congress can strike a deal soon.