MINNEAPOLIS — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily issued a ground stop at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Tuesday morning after smoke was reported inside the airport's control tower.
An advisory posted on the FAA website around 5:30 a.m. listed the "impacting condition" for the ground stop as "fire alarm/safety."
According to a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, crews from MSP and other agencies responded to a report that there was smoke in the tower around 5 a.m., which prompted an evacuation in parts of the building.
As of 6:30 a.m. the smoke had dissipated and FAA personnel were cleared to re-enter the building and resume operations, according to MAC.
Officials continue to investigate the source of the smoke.
"Normal operations have resumed at the air traffic controller tower for Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport," the FAA said in a statement to KARE 11. The tower was briefly evacuated due to smoke. The Minneapolis Terminal Radar Approach Control assumed control of the airspace during that time."
While the situation has been cleared, there could be lasting impacts on flight operations at MSP Tuesday morning. Check your carrier's website or call ahead to make sure your flight is on time.
Earlier Tuesday, FlightAware reported that all inbound flights to MSP were being held at their origin. Several users on Twitter also reported that their flights to Minneapolis were diverted to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, including former Minnesota representative Jeremy Munson.
"We were 2 min from landing and diverted to Sioux Falls when the tower at MSP was evacuated," he tweeted. "My red eye is now even more red."
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, MSP is only reporting three cancellations and 15 delayed flights.
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