In what appears to be a change in plans, a little known checkpoint at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport reopened Friday morning, four days after TSA officials closed it citing staffing and funding issues.
The closure began Monday, sparking outrage from travelers and the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which spent at least $24 million for a skyway from the hotel to Terminal 1.
MAC Vice Chair Patti Gartland questioned how the closure may impact future issues.
"That does not bode well for future relations and future opportunities," Gartland said. "I can only hope that cooler heads and smarter heads will prevail."
An agreement reached Thursday between the MAC and the TSA reopeoned the checkpoint, six days ahead of when some 40,000 people are expected to be screened before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Under the agreement, the checkpoint will be open daily from 4:45 a.m. until 10 a.m. The MAC must repay the TSA through the TSA's new Reimbursable Screening Service Pilot Program for all personnel and nonpersonnel costs associated with providing these additional security screening services.
The MAC is working on an agreement to secure funding for the checkpoint, which will be reviewed in the next 12 to 18 months in order to see if the TSA should resume funding it.