KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSNF/KODE) — Construction of a brand new $1.5 billion terminal at Kansas City International Airport is nearly finished.
Inside the skeleton of the roughly 1 million square-foot terminal, more than half of the artwork — created by multiple artists after an intensive selection process — has been installed. Two moving walkways will expedite transfers between two concourses which house a total of 39 gates.
Accessibility is a key theme in the design of the terminal. Each concourse has a restroom core that includes a water bottle station, a family restroom with an adult-sized changing table, a multi-user restroom, gendered restrooms and service animal relief areas.
The terminal will also include 10 rooms for nursing mothers and infants, a quiet room, two Delta Sky Club lounges and an aircraft cabin simulator made with the front of a scrapped Airbus A321 plane to accommodate autistic passengers who may experience negative reactions to airplane travel.
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In 2017, Kansas City residents voted to go ahead with the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history, trusting in promises that the new terminal would create a much-improved passenger experience and be good for the region’s economy. Supporters said it would likely result in more flights in and out of Kansas City, including international flights.
At the time of the vote, it was apparent that the airport’s horseshoe-shaped terminals, built in 1972, were obsolete. They lack adequate space or modern security checkpoints, have limited restroom capacity, and offer few food and beverage concessions.
The new terminal will expand KCI’s passenger capacity from about 30,000 passengers a day to more than 50,000. It’s expected to officially open sometime in March. You’ll find more information on the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, HERE.
