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21 March 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The new terminal at KCI Airport has been open for three weeks, and the public is hearing from city leaders about what’s going well and what needs improvement.
“This is by far the best flying experience in the country right now,” City Manager Brian Platt said.
City leaders like Platt said while there are some things to work on, they’re confident the new terminal was the right move for the city.
“Definitely impressed by how beautiful this new airport is,” traveler Elizabeth Cornejo said before going through security.
According to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, more than 300,000 passengers have checked in at the new terminal in less than a month. Terminal businesses have generated more than $3 million in sales, and there’s also been an increase in flights in and out, as well as more non-stop options.
“That allows us to have revenue that we’re putting right back into the airport terminal facility,” Lucas said. “Hiring and paying our staff, making sure we’re keeping the place clean, making sure we’re taking care of those things that are so important.”
He said the average wait time for security is 4.2 minutes, but another area of the new terminal isn’t running as smoothly. Lucas said when it comes to dropping off and picking up at arrivals, an area that has seen heavy traffic backups, every car needs to follow the same protocol.
“Our goal here is to make sure you’re respectful of others, so queuing up in a long line is not the thing that you should be doing,” Lucas said.
“And if you’re coming to KCI airport for the first time to pick up someone, know that there are two lanes that take you to the arrivals area, don’t just sit in the one and know that you have to keep traffic moving as well. So, we really encourage you to go to that cellphone lot and make sure that you’re handling that.”
Garage parking is also available for people waiting. The new garage has more than 6,000 spaces and costs $1 for the first 30 minutes and $3 for 30-60 minutes.