New Tech Now Cuts Wait Times For Travelers At MSP Airport

If you're flying this summer, there's good news if you're heading back to Minnesota's biggest airport: you won't have to wait in those Customs lines as long!

That's right, if you’re flying back into the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) after a trip to another country this summer, you might notice your trip through Customs feels a little quicker. Officials have made some behind-the-scenes changes aimed at speeding things up and keeping travelers moving.

MSP is home to 18 different airlines, which offer flights to 163 different destinations. And those 18 airlines and 163 destinations meant there were a *lot* of flights taking off and landing and MSP last year. 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

All those numbers add up to an even bigger number: 37,168,257. That's the total number of passengers who went through the gates at MSP in 2024. That 37 million is a nearly 7 percent increase from the 34,770,800 passengers who used MSP in 2023, and the 31,241,822 passengers served in 2022.

So if you'll be one of those travelers this year, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has just rolled out something it calls Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP). According to a release from the Minneapolis CBP, this new technology is part of their Airport Modernization efforts, designed to streamline traveler processing by reducing manual systems and increasing security through technology enhancements.

The new EPP involves photographing travelers using auto capture technology to provide a complete customs assessment (biometric confirmation, eligibility, enforcement) before they reach a CBP officer, the release said.

The result is a shorter time in line, according to LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, CBP Director of Field Operations, Chicago Field Office, who said in the release:

Travelers arriving at MSP will feel the benefits of this new technology—shorter wait times, faster processing through Customs, and the improved ability to make connecting flights.

MSP is the latest airport to get this new tech, which is also available at airports in Orlando, Dallas, Denver, Charlotte, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Montreal, Canada, and Dublin, Ireland.

SEE ALSO: This Phone Is Completely Banned on All Flights

And don't forget about another program MSP rolled out last year that will also reduce your time in the TSA security lines on your way *out* of Minnesota: MSP Reserve. It's 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 if you *are* flying sometime this holiday weekend or later this summer, keep scrolling to check out some other items you are NOT permitted to check in your bags at any airport here in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

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