Reopened TSA Checkpoint At MSP Airport: A Guide For Flyers

Tired of battling long TSA lines at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) here in Minnesota? A newly reopened security option is cutting wait times and making early morning flights way less stressful.

We know that MSP is the largest airport in both the North Star State and our neighboring states of Iowa and Wisconsin. It's also the 18th largest airport in the country. MSP says the 18 airlines at its two terminals served 163 nonstop destinations from the North Star State in 2023, up from 156 destinations in 2023 and 145 destinations in 2022.

MSP is also home to a lot of flights. Overall, MSP saw 324,140 flight operations (both takeoffs and landings) in 2024, up from 323,929 in 2023 and 310,269 in 2022. MSP also averaged 60,644 daily departing seats, up from 56,823 a year ago, an increase of 6.7 percent.

ALSO INTERESTING: The Surprising Fact About MSP Airport You May Not Know

MSP added several features recently to make your flying experience easier. We'd heard earlier this month how MSP implemented the new TSA ruling that allows you to keep your shoes on while you go through security checkpoints.

Last fall, MSP unveiled a program called MSP Reserve, which is a free reservation service that allows you to book a place in the airport security line for yourself and your traveling companions ahead of time, allowing you to go through a separate line-- and avoid all those crowds.

And now, MSP said it just reopened another TSA security checkpoint that had been closed for over 5 years. ThriftyTraveler reports that the dedicated TSA line at the InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hotel is now officially open again.

The InterContinental Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Hotel (Google Maps)

MSP announced the news on Tuesday, July 29, and ThriftyTraveler noted that the line is open to serve travelers daily from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m. ThriftyTraveler said it closed in 2019-- even before the pandemic-- with no word that it would ever reopen.

But now it is, though ThriftyTraveler also said the line has a few restrictions. First, it's only for passengers with carry-on bags; there's no way to check a bag. It's only for flights leaving from Terminal 1. And does not offer TSA PreCheck or other expedited security services.

You don't have to be a guest at the hotel to use this new checkpoint, either. You could simply make your way through the hotel to the third level and proceed through the line. Just be sure you're not carrying any of the following items, however. Keep scrolling to see 20 different items you are NOT permitted to check in your bags at any airport here in Minnesota or Wisconsin.