Kansas City International Airport — Local services in Kansas City

Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI, FAA LID: MCI) (originally Mid-Continent International Airport) is a public airport 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri. In 2017, 11.50 million passengers used the airport.

Its largest carriers are Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, both having many daily flights in Terminal B.

The airport has always been a civilian airport and has never had an Air National Guard unit assigned to it.

In 2009, the airport was reported as having the highest number of wildlife strikes of any airport in the US, based on take-offs and landings (57 per 100,000). FAA records showed 146 strikes in 2008 – up from 37 in 2000.

In 2017 Kansas City voters approved a new single-terminal design to be built by Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate over the following 3–4 years. The new airport would be built over the current A Terminal, with flights continuing in terminals B and C during the construction.

Kansas City Industrial Airport was built after the Great Flood of 1951 destroyed the facilities of both of Kansas City's hometown airlines Mid-Continent Airlines and TWA at Fairfax Airport across the Missouri River from the city's main Kansas City Municipal Airport (which was not as badly damaged). TWA's main overhaul base was a former B-25 bomber factory at Fairfax, although TWA commercial flights flew out of the main downtown airport.

Kansas City was planning to build an airport with room for 10,000-foot (3,000 m) runways and knew the downtown airport would not be large enough.

Kansas City already owned Grandview Airport south of the city with ample room for expansion, but the city chose to build a new airport north of the city away from the Missouri River following lobbying by Platte County native Jay B. Dillingham, president of the Kansas City Stockyards, which had also been destroyed in the flood. TWA moved its Fairfax plant to the new airport and also its overseas overhaul operations at New Castle County Airport in Delaware.

The site just north of the then unincorporated hamlet of Hampton, Missouri was picked in May 1953 (with an anticipated cost of $23 million) under the guidance of City Manager L.P. Cookingham. Cookingham Drive is now the main access road to the airport. Ground was broken in September 1954. The first runway opened in 1956; at about the same time the city donated the southern Grandview Airport to the United States Air Force to become Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base.

The airport was across US 71 (now I-29) from the Red Crown Tourist Court, where outlaws Bonnie and Clyde engaged in a 1933 shootout with law enforcement, which led to the death of Clyde's brother Buck Barrow and the capture of Buck's wife Blanche Barrow.

TWA's Kansas City Overhaul Base at its peak in the 1960s and 1970s was Kansas City's largest employer, with...

The new Kansas City International Airport (KCI) is a modern airport that offers travelers a seamless and enjoyable experience while celebrating the city's rich culture. Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains, and the new KCI honors this nickname by showcasing local art, cuisine, and inclusivity, alongside an impressive range of fountains.

The airport's design is focused on providing travelers with a unique sense of place. One of the most striking features of the new KCI is its dedication to showcasing local art. The art installations scattered throughout the terminal, including the arrival and departure areas, depict the beauty and diversity of the Kansas City sky, making it feel like you have arrived in Kansas City the moment you step off the plane.

Kansas City is known for its culinary scene, and the new KCI airport is no exception. With a range of restaurants that serve locally sourced dishes, the airport provides travelers with a taste of Kansas City's culinary offerings. The airport also caters to a range of dietary preferences and budgets, ensuring that everyone can find something to suit their taste buds.

Another highlight of the new KCI is its inclusivity. The airport features accessibility features, including wheelchair ramps, visual and auditory signage, and quiet spaces, to cater to the needs of all travelers. The airport also offers inclusive spaces, including gender-neutral restrooms and prayer rooms, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and comfortable.

The new KCI is easy to navigate, with clear and visible signage used throughout the terminal. This user-friendly layout minimizes confusion and optimizes efficiency, making it easy for travelers to find their way around the airport.

Finally, the new KCI features a large parking garage located just steps away from the terminal. The garage has ample space for vehicles of all sizes and includes amenities such as electric vehicle charging stations and luggage carts.

In conclusion, the new Kansas City International Airport is a world-class facility that showcases the best of Kansas City's culture, cuisine, and inclusivity. The airport's dedication to local art, easy signage, and large parking garage, coupled with its focus on inclusivity and accessibility, ensures that every traveler has a seamless and enjoyable experience. With Kansas City's famous fountains on display, the new KCI airport is a destination in itself and a true reflection of the city's...

I booked a flight out of this tiny airport through Frontier. I don't fly often and this was the first time I had bought a plane ticket by myself. Everything that could have gone wrong did, first my flight was delayed by three hours and it meant I was going to miss my transfer flight in Denver. I had prepared ahead of time by calling the different airlines and confirming that I would have resources available in Denver to get a new flight. This imploded on me when I arrived an hour early and the check-in counter was being harassed by other guests that had their flight delayed too. I tried to give the staff a break by being easier to work with and more flexible with my flight changes. This was my first mistake, as one of the staff (Sabrina) had canceled my flight out of Kansas and gave me a ticket from Denver to Vegas which would not even work since I'm still in Kansas at this time. Because of this issue I was not let on the plane and had to back to the ticket counter, thereby missing my flight. I was trying to work with the supervisor (Sam) who assured me that he would get me on the next flight to Denver the following day. He said there was no way he could get me a hotel or even any compensation for my issues, he basically said that the benches were relatively comfortable and that him and his team would help me in the morning, even giving me his "personal" phone number. The "comfortable" benches were anything but, the arm rests were fixed in the center and I had to push two benches just to sleep in the middle with my duffel bag as a pillow. The airport chimes would iniate every 27.5 minutes (I counted). Despite only getting a few hours of sleep I pressed on to the next day feeling confident that the Frontier team would help me get home. Well that was my second mistake because according to every other staff in this airport, Frontier airlines does not have staff present if there are no flights that day, which also meant that the "assured flight" I would get on did not exist. Not only this but Sam gave me the number to the Frontier automated help line which was no help at all. I am writing this review as I ride the Greyhound bus for 19 hours to Denver just to get the only flight back home through united airlines. I will NEVER come back to this airport and I strongly recommend you don't either. P. S. Ron in United Airlines was the BEST help through all of this and really helped me get to Denver when there were no...