FOUR-YEAR BUILDING PROJECT WILL SOON OPEN
An opening date has been announced for Kansas City’s $1.54 billion new airport terminal, located in Platte County at the site of the existing KCI Airport.
Kansas City officials this week the new airport will officially open on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Ground was broken in March 2019 on the single, one-million-square-foot terminal that will replace the current horseshoe-shaped terminals, which were built back in 1972.
Kansas City economic development officials are excited.
“The new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) represents a total transformation of Kansas City’s passenger experience. Travelers arriving to and departing from the Heart of America will be met with upgraded technology, a long list of locally-inspired amenities and convenient gate access,” says a web posting by Visit KC. Visit KC is an economic development organization “dedicated to being the heart of the tourism industry in Kansas City. Our mission is to create global passion for Kansas City. We do this through sales and marketing efforts to attract visitors and conventions to Kansas City,” says the organization’s website.
The new, 39-gate terminal features a modern environment with dedicated arrival and departure levels, covered parking in an adjacent garage, moving walkways and consolidated security checkpoints, all designed for easy navigation.
A spacious structure filled with natural light—and Kansas City’s signature fountains—promises an entirely new experience as travelers move through the terminal and centralized customer service desks will readily provide guidance and additional resources.
The terminal’s long list of upgrades extends all the way to your aircraft door. The new MCI will feature glass passenger boarding bridges at all 39 gates, providing views of the surrounding airfield as you board your flight. This also makes the Kansas City International Airport the largest all-glass facility in the United States.
A parking garage with 6,100 spaces and a location adjacent to the terminal, plus dedicated curb spaces for taxis, ride sharing platforms and shuttles, are all planned to maintain the airport’s convenient experience as travelers arrive and depart.
The terminal will be the first in the United States with wireless electric bus charging, building on Kansas City’s existing environmental efforts and leadership—KCI was the first U.S. airport with electric buses.
The new KCI will feature services and spaces designed to welcome all passengers, such as a service animal relief area, military USO and nursing mothers rooms.
More than 80 percent of brands represented in the new KCI will be local to the Kansas City region. Shops and restaurants like Charlie Hustle, Urban Café and Stockyards Brewing Co. will greet travelers, as well as experiences that introduce iconic KC destinations like the City Market. The terminal’s lineup of concessions also features 17 woman-owned and minority-owned businesses.
Resources on the American Royal World Series of Barbecue, the Barbecue Hall of Fame and the Kansas City Barbeque Society will also be available within the terminal.
Public art will also have a significant presence in the new terminal, with a total of $5.6 million being invested in works from 28 individual artists, including 19 artists who live in the KC area or have local ties. Sculptures, paintings and installations will reflect area history and Kansas City’s cultural cornerstones, from its well-recognized place as a jazz hotbed to its City of Fountains moniker.
