Kansas City International Airport, originally known as Mid-Continent International Airport, has undergone several renovations since its opening in 1972. Recently, a new state-of-the-art terminal was unveiled on February 28th, 2023.

The city of Kansas approved a $150 million bond in 1966 to move the main airport from downtown to an expanded location owned by the city. TWA was instrumental in designing the airport, envisioning it as a hub for global travel with direct drive-to-your-gate access and no stairs. The design aimed to maximize efficiency of movement by placing the flight gates only 75 feet from the roadway, which eliminated the need for costly moving walkways. However, the design had drawbacks, such as limited passenger services, difficult security checkpoints, and an unfriendly layout for larger aircraft.

In the 1970s, security checkpoints were installed to prevent hijackings. However, they had to be placed at each gate, rather than in a centralized location, which was challenging and expensive. TWA requested a terminal rebuild, but cost overruns led to a denial, prompting TWA to move its hub to St. Louis.

A $258 million renovation was completed in 2004, including enlarging the structural bays for larger spaces, constructing new bathrooms and terrazzo floors. In 2014, Terminal A was closed and replaced with a new single terminal, currently under construction on the same site. The new terminal is H-shaped, with two concourses, A and B, and features large windows, spacious seating areas, USB charging outlets, a variety of food and beverage options, moving walkways, play areas, a dog relief station, and permanent art installations.

The original Terminals B and C closed in the early morning hours of February 28th, 2023, and all flights began operating out of the new terminal, starting with Southwest #904 to MDW at 5:00 AM later that morning.

➡️ What do you think of the new terminal at MCI? Reply and let me know!

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