Ground stops issued at MSP Airport amid winter storm Thursday
MINNEAPOLIS — Two ground stops were ordered at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Thursday morning amid a winter storm.
The FAA issued the first stop between 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. due to snow and ice, followed by a ground delay. The second stop followed in the late morning hours.
An MSP spokesperson says the stoppages were due to the intense rate of snowfall.
According to FlightAware, hundreds of flights were delayed at MSP, but there were only a handful of cancelations.
In the wake of the initial ground stops, hundreds of crew members worked hard to clear the snow to make way for the holiday hustle and to avoid widespread cancellations and delays.
For many travelers who spoke with WCCO on Thursday, getting to the airport was the most difficult part of their journey when roads weren't plowed.
"We left our house around 9 a.m. exactly and it was supposed to be a 30-minute trip, but it turned into an hour," said Sam Lilija, who lives in Plymouth.
The biggest holiday travel day at MSP is yet to come: airport officials anticipate Friday will be their busiest ahead of the holidays.
They also expect a 6% increase in passengers year-over-year from Friday through Jan. 6.
