| Countries | Cities | Airport Names | IATA | |||||
Airport Search:  |
||||||||
Kansas City Airport
Airport Directory » United States » Kansas City » Kansas City AirportContents
|
Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI, FAA LID: MCI), originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport turn up 15 land mile (24 kilometre) northwest of the central downtown of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, United States. In 2008, 10,469,892 riders used the airport.
Kansas City International was ranked No. one amongst large-size airports in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 North America Airport Satisfaction Study (having 5 out of 5 stars in all families except baggage demand in which it acquired 4)
In February 2008, U.S. News & World Report ranked the airport the "third smallest miserable airport" in the United States, ground on the 47 busiest airports in the land.
The airport biggest bearer is Southwest Airlines which functions a large figure of daily voyages and assists as a secondary airline hub for Midwest Airlines.
The airport has ever been a civilian airport and has ne'er had an Air National Guard unit portioned to it unlike many major comparably sized airports.
In 2009 the airport was described as having the highest figure of wildlife strikes of anybody airport in the United States ground on take off and landings (57 per 100,000). FAA enters present there were 146 strikes in 2008 -- up from 37 in 2000.
History
Kansas City Industrial Airport
The airport (originally informally named Kansas City Industrial Airport) was made after the Great Flood of 1951 destruct the facilities of both of Kansas City's hometown air hose Mid-Continent Airlines and TWA at Fairfax Airport across the Missouri River from the town's briny Kansas City Downtown Airport (which was not as badly damaged in the swamp).
Fairfax was the independent hub for rider and airmail traffic cared by Mid-Continent. TWA had its briny overtake ground in a former B-25 Bomber mill at Fairfax although TWA commercial voyages winged out of the independent business district airport.
Kansas City was program to construct an airport that is able to deal 10,000-foot (3,000 m) landing track and know that its enlargement options were limited at the Downtown airport.
At the clip, Kansas City already owned Grandview Airport southward of the town which had ample appartment for enlargement. However, Kansas City pick out to construct an all new airport northward of the town forth from the Missouri River coming after intense hall by Platte County native Jay B. Dillingham, president of the Kansas City Stockyards which had also been destruct in the swamp.
The specific location merely northward of the then unincorporated crossroads of Hampton, Missouri was picked in May 1953 (with an expected cost of $23 million) under the direction of City Manager L.P. Cookingham. Cookingham Drive is currently the independent slip road to the airport. Ground was broken in September 1954. The 1st jet plane landing track opened in 1956. At approximately the same clip the town donated the southern Grandview Airport to the United States Air Force to go Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base.
The airport location was direct across U.S. 71 (currently I-29) from the Red Crown Tourist Court where illegalizes Bonnie & Clyde pursued in a 1933 gunplay with law enforcement which finally ensued in the expiry of Clyde's blood brother Buck Barrow and the capture of Buck's married woman Blanche Barrow.
Mid-Continent International Airport
Although Mid Continent united with Braniff in 1952, Kansas City make up one's mind to name the new airport on the base of Mid Continent's historic roots (assisting the Mid-continent Oil Field).
TWA officially signed an understanding to travel its overtake found to the airport in 1954 in which the town made and owned the $18 million ground but rent it dorsum to TWA.
The airport did not have scheduled rider service until a 1963 Federal Aviation Agency memorandum named the Downtown Airport "1 of the poorest leading airports in the state for big jet plane" and advocated against passing anybody more federal dollars on it.
In addition to the enlargement boundaries there were interrogations whether it is able to manage the new Boeing 747. Jets had to do steep mounts and origins to avoid the business district skyscrapers on the 200-foot (61 m) high Missouri River bluffs at Quality Hill at the southward finish of the landing track. Further, Downtown Kansas City was right in the voyage way for takeoffs and landings, ensuing in a constant howl business district while Mid-Continent was border by open farm district.
TWA's "Airport of the Future"
In 1966 electors in a 24:one perimeter okayed a $150 million bond issue coming after a military campaign by Mayor Ilus W. Davis to travel the town's briny airport to an spread out Mid-Continent. The town had viewed construction its new airport 5 land mile (eight kilometre) northward of business district Kansas City in the Missouri River undersides as good as places in southern Jackson County, Missouri, but make up one's mind to stick with the belonging it already owned.
At the clip the airport belonging was in an unincorporated area of Platte County. During building the small city of Platte City, Missouri, annexed the airport.
Kansas City finally annexed the airport. Kivett and Myers projected the depots and control tower. It was committed on October 23, 1972 by Vice President Spiro Agnew. Labor discord and breaks raised its cost to $250 million. Kansas City renamed the airport Kansas City International Airport (although it held MCI as its aerodrome code). Kansas City's 2 major hub air hose TWA and Braniff, alongside with other bearers, travel to the airport.
Many of the project determinations of the airport were driven by primary renter TWA which projected it shall be its hub with 747s and Supersonic Transports whisking someones from America's heartland to all points on the earth. Streets around the airport had the names of Mexico City Avenue, Brasilia Avenue, Paris Street, London Avenue, Tel Aviv Avenue and so forth.
TWA blackballed conceptions to theoretical account the airport on Washington Dulles International Airport and Tampa International Airport because those 2 airports had individuals movers which it take for shall be to a fault expensive. TWA take a firm stand on a "Drive to Your Gate" conception with voyage entrances only 75 human foot (23 m) from the roadway (signs alongside the roadway placed the specific voyages going forth each entrance). The single-level depots had no steps. A similar layout was to be implemented at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
TWA's blemished vision
TWA's vision for the time to come of voyage which had been open up by the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport in New York City (which also characteristic auto close to the entrances project) turn up obsolete about from the set about.
The depots prove to be unfriendly to the 747 since riders pour out of the entrance area into the hallways. Further, when security checkpoints set about being constituted in the 1970s to base the tide of highjacks, they were hard and expensive to implement since security checkpoints had to be set up at each entrance area instead than at a centralised area .
As a effect, rider services were non-existent downriver of the security checkpoint in the entrance area . No comfort station were available, and there were no stores, eating house, newsstands, ATMs or anybody other rider services available without pop off the procure area and being rescreened upon re-entry.
Shortly after the airport opened TWA inquired that the depots be reconstructed to computer address these issues. Kansas City, bring up the massive cost overrun on a new constructed airport to TWA spec, declined, inciting TWA to travel its hub to Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri.
Design
Kansas City International's unique project as seen from the air.MCI rider depots have a unique building consisting three depots in the characteristic of peals. Each peal has short term parkland in the centre of the peal. Thus, it is possible for a traveler to parkland, walk no more than a century human foot, and travel direct to their entrance. Arriving travellers is able to go away their entrance, and walk directly out of the depot without passing through anybody corridors. The Kansas City Airport also has several off location airport parkland installations. Slogans at the clip of the bond issue were "The world's shortest walk to wing" and "Drive to your entrance." A proposed fourth peal as good as a 4th 15,100-foot (4,600 m) landing track have ne'er been made. Though, until the new rental auto installation was made, 1 is able to see the foundation positioned for the fourth depot.
Kansas City and the air hose have preferred against anybody "mortals movers" linking the 3 peals. Instead frequent jitneys take riders around the peals. Initially there was a bear down of 25 cents to sit the coach. However coming after a massive call by travellers the bear down was bring up and transportation system is currently free.
Security
After the organization of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), MCI was 1 of 5 airports where the TSA has experimented with using independent contractors to supply all traveler inspector services. The airport uses FirstLine Transportation Security, an independent contractor who conforms to TSA's entering and preparation criterion. TSA oversees these independent contractors, but they are not federal employees.
See: TSA Announcement of Private Security Screening Pilot Program
Renovations
A $258 million Terminal Improvement Project was finished in November 2004. Under direct interior designer 360 Architecture, the coming after improvements were do:
- Increased the size of it of each structural embayment to furnish bigger halls, additional infinite for grants, more public sitting and better client service
- The addition of retail infinite at curbside and airside to furnish ameliorated client service
- A more functional and cost efficacious signage solution that relocates related mechanical ductwork to the apron stage beneath, hence exposing more of the being concrete and original building while letting more natural visible light into the concourse area .
Other improvements include new completes throughout, new gate halls to ameliorate the air lock between the construction inside and exterior, new baggage demand devices, updated retail area , new exterior glazing and a common project for just the ticket counters that includes sunblind devices.
All 3 depots currently include blueness terrazzo flooring (which won a 2002 Honor Award from The National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association), updated reaching/going projection screens and conveniences and grants are currently available inside rider maintaining area . In May 2007, the final part of the labor (a new rental auto installation and additional art fixtures) were finished.
One major job stays after the redevelopment. The alterations necessary to implement TSA security made a state of affairs where many 'sanitised' entrance area have only a individual convenience stall each for men and adult female (added during the redevelopment); the staying comfort station are across the hallway, which is currently outside the procured area , needing an extra trip through TSA security.
In 2006 the airport set about offering free Wi-Fi.
As division of the redevelopment, the airport got 1 of several in the United States to offer a rinsing area for Muslim cab drivers, letting them to do their religious ablutions in a safe and healthful fashion. The installing was funded by the airport cab license tax.
Facilities and aircraft
Kansas City International Airport covers an area of 10,200 acres (4,128 ha) which incorporates 3 landing track. For the 12-month time period finish December 31, 2007, the airport had 194,969 aircraft functioning, an mean of 534 per solar day.
Proposed Central Terminal
Airport functionaries and town leaders state the amalgamation of MCI's 3 depots into 1 depot is inevitable. They refer the disbursement of functioning several security checkpoints within each depot, want of grants and retail infinite beyond security as good as the functioning costs of the airport itself as ground for a new depot. Consultants have been engaged and 5 conceptions for the time to come of the airport have been chalk out out.
Through the yr Kansas City had elongated to put in the 3 decentralised depot conception by construction multi-level parkland building on the inside fields of each of the "C" terminals—connected via burrows.
On December 7th 2007, an update to the airport's master programme (Required every ten yr for every major U.S. airport by the FAA) unveiled new architectural plans for a central depot.
Under the proposed master programme, the central depot shall be built on vacant belonging southward of the field and would maintain a centralised security checkpoint, a concourse for concessioners and stores, and 4 wings for entrances. Those wings is able to be spread out after, the advisor stated. Since the southward component part of the field is vacant, building would in no fashion strangle current functioning. An extension of landing track 1R to the length of 12,000 human foot (3,700 m) has been advised, as good as a 4th 12,000-foot (3,700 m) landing track merely due west of current landing track 1L has also been talked about. The designers working on the new master plan are Landrum & Brown. A declaration shall be offered to the town council in views to the programme in the summertime of 2008.
MCI or else of KCI
Despite calls for from Kansas City, the airport has been unable to modify its original International Air Transport Association (IATA) Mid-Continent appellation of MCI which had already been registered on navigational charts. Further perplexing quests to modify the appellation, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the clip reserved all name missives with "K" or "W" for wireless and television stations and so KCI was not viable.
Wichita, Kansas in 1973 laid demand to the Mid-Continent name for its Municipal Airport (IATA: ICT, ICAO: KICT) after Kansas City abandoned it. However, Wichita had no lot in modifying its IATA appellation for the same ground (including the vetoed "W").
The business district Kansas City airport get out the "K" limitation because it was originally named Municipal Airport and so its appellation is MKC and for added inducement it was in Missouri.
The "W" and "K" limitations have since been bring up but the IATA is reluctant to modify names that have looked on navigational charts.
Hubs
MCI now is a hub for Midwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines also functions a high figure of voyages (68 daily on weekdays) and is the airport's biggest bearer. However, it does not separate MCI as a focal point town (as Southwest does not bring up to anybody town as a "hub").
This airport assisted as a hub for the currently defunct air hose of Eastern Air Lines, Vanguard Airlines, and Braniff Airways. It was also a former hub for TWA and US Airways. TWA (through its replacement American Airlines) elongates to use the pass ground although on a fall 900-employee ground.
At 10,000 acres (40 km²), it is 1 of the biggest fields in the United States. In addition to rider service, the airport is an active civil aviation field, and a real active freight airport. In 2006 it assisted 10.6 million riders.
Transportation to and from the airport
While MCI is handily turn up on major main road Interstate 29 and Interstate 435, it is 15 land mile (24 kilometre) from business district and even further from common business destinations in the southern suburban area. The dearth of other transportation system options do leasing a auto the default option. Most national franchises are corresponded at a consolidated rental auto installation.
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority functions 1 public bus company to the airport, path 129x. It only functions 18 clips per solar day, between six AM and six PM, Monday–Friday. It functions between a halt in Terminal C (only) and the business district jitney centre with intermediate halts. Systemwide menu is $1.25 as of 2006.
A figure of private scheduled shared shuttle services function from MCI to regional towns (including Saint Joseph, Missouri; Columbia, Missouri; Topeka, Kansas; Lawrence, Kansas); and army bases (Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri).
In November 2006, electors of Kansas City okayed a 25-year extension of a 3/8-cent nuisance tax that will assist pay for a visible light rail system. Initial programmes call for a railway line continuing from Kansas City International Airport in the northward, to Swope Park, Starlight Theater Kansas City, and the Kansas City Zoo in the southward, making another transit option for travellers in and out of KCI. This belief was afterwards revoked by City Council in favour of a different proposal (which neglected in the November 2008 ballots).
Incidents
- February 16, 1995 - An Air Transport International McDonnell Douglas DC-8 voyage to Westover Metropolitan Airport, which had aborted a start 6 min. before because of loss of directional command, crashed on Runway 1L on another part because of failure of the directional command when its tail hit the run fashion. All 3 on board were assassination.
- September 8, 1989 - USAir Flight 105 from Pittsburgh International Airport snipped 4 influence lines 75 human foot above the dry land 7,000 human foot east of Runway 27 after doing accommodations after being stated by the MCI comptroller that visible lights were out on the southward side of the airport. The voyage then district in Salina, Kansas. None of the 64 individuals on board were wound.
- April 13, 1987 - Buffalo Airways Flight 721 functioned by Burlington Air Express load voyage from Wichita-Mid-Continent Airport go down in a thick fog with half land mile visibleness snipped a 950 high ridge 3 land mile short of the landing track. All 4 inhabitants were killed—the worst accident in the airport's history.
Wildlife strikes
In 2009 the airport was described as having the highest figure of wildlife strikes of anybody airport in the United States ground on take off and landings (57 per 100,000). FAA enters present there were 146 strikes in 2008 -- up from 37 in 2000.
In the account time period of January 1990 to September 2008 none of the runs across ensued in harm to individuals and all of the aeroplanes district safely. The account named the most serious incidents.
- March 31, 2006 - Boeing 737 struck a medium to big bird and damaged an engine on part. It returned.
- February 25, 1999 - a Learjet 35 draw close Downtown Kansas City Airport struck a flock of snow goose over KCI. One hit the co-pilot's window, and 1 was take into an engine closing it down. It district safely.
- March 4, 1999 - A DC-9 districting at the airport struck a flock of snow goose having geese in both engines closing 1 down. The aeroplane district safely.
- April 28, 2000 - A Boeing 727 on part struck a Canada goose destructing an engine. It returned safely.
- June 10, 2005 - A DC-9 on takeoff struck an American kestral stalling an engine. It returned safely.
Original article.