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Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI), originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, is a public airport located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of the central business district (CBD) of Kansas City, in Platte County, Missouri, USA. In 2006 10.6 million passengers used the airport. [1]
HistoryThe airport (originally informally called Kansas City Industrial Airport) was built following the Great Flood of 1951 to keep Mid-Continent Airlines (which provided airmail service) and the TWA overhaul base in the metropolitan area after their facilities had been destroyed in the flood. Both the TWA overhaul base and the airmail prior to 1951 were located at Fairfax Airport in Kansas City, Kansas directly across the Missouri River from the city's main Kansas City Downtown Airport.
The airport site was directly across U.S. 71 (now I-29) from the Red Crown Tourist Court where outlaws Bonnie & Clyde engaged in a 1933 shootout with law enforcement which ultimately resulted in the death of Clyde's brother Buck Barrow and the capture of Buck's wife Blanche Barrow. A 1963 Federal Aviation Agency memo called the Downtown Airport "one of the poorest major airports in the country for large jet aircraft" and recommended against spending any more federal dollars on it. The downtown airport was very convenient but had no room for expansion (specifically there were questions whether it could handle the new Boeing 747). Jets had to make steep climbs and descents to avoid the downtown skyscrapers on the 200 foot high Missouri River bluffs at Quality Hill at the south end of the runway. Further, Downtown Kansas City was right in the flight path for takeoffs and landings resulting a constant roar downtown while Mid-Continent was surrounded by open farm land.
At the time the airport property was in an unincorporated area of Platte County. During construction the small town of Platte City, Missouri annexed the airport. Kansas City eventually annexed the airport. Kivett and Myers designed the terminals and control tower. It was dedicated on October 23, 1972 by Vice President Spiro Agnew. Labor strife and interruptions raised its cost to $250 million. Kansas City first renamed it Mid-Continent International Airport and shortly thereafter renamed again Kansas City International Airport. Kansas City's two major hub airlines TWA and Braniff along with carriers moved to the airport. Many of the design decisions of the airport were driven by primary tenant TWA which envisioned it would be its hub with 747's whisking people from America's heartland to all points on the globe. Streets around the airport had the names of Mexico City Avenue, Brasilia Avenue, Paris Street, London Avenue, Tel Aviv Avenue and so forth. TWA vetoed concepts to model the airport on Washington Dulles International Airport and Tampa International Airport because those two airports had people movers which it deemed would be too expensive. TWA insisted on a "Drive to Your Gate" concept with flight gates only 75 feet from the roadway (signs along the roadway identified the specific flights leaving each gate). A similar layout was to be implemented at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The terminals turned out to be unfriendly to the 747 since passengers spilled out of the gate area into the halls. Further, when security checkpoints began being instituted in the 1980s to stem the tide of hijackings, they were difficult and expensive to implement since security checkpoints had to be installed at each gate area rather than at a centralized area. As a result, passenger services were non-existent downstream of the security checkpoint in the gate area. No restrooms were available, and there were no shops, restaurants, newsstands, ATM machines or any other passenger services available without exiting the secure area and being rescreened upon re-entry. Shortly after the airport opened TWA asked that the terminals be rebuilt to address these issues. Kansas City, citing the massive cost overruns on a newly built airport to TWA specification, refused, prompting TWA to move its hub to Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport in St. Louis, Missouri. In 2004, Kansas City spent $258 million to upgrade the terminals. MCI instead of KCIDespite requests from Kansas City, the airport has been unable to change its original International Air Transport Association (IATA) Mid-Continent designation of MCI which had already been registered on navigational charts. Further complicating requests to change the designation, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the time reserved all call letters with "K" or "W" for radio and television stations and so KCI was not viable. Wichita, Kansas in 1973 (which was also part of the original Mid-Continent Airlines network) laid claim to the Mid-Continent name for its Municipal Airport (IATA: ICT, ICAO: KICT) after Kansas City abandoned it. However, Wichita had no luck in changing its IATA designation for the same reasons (including the forbidden "W"). The downtown Kansas City airport got around the "K" restriction because it was originally called Municipal Airport and so its designation is MKC. The "W" and "K" restrictions have since been lifted but the IATA is reluctant to change names that have appeared on navigational charts. HubsThis airport served as a hub for the now defunct airlines of Eastern Air Lines, Vanguard Airlines, and Braniff Airways. It was also a former hub for TWA and US Airways. Midwest Airlines is now the only airline to use it as a hub while Southwest Airlines is the airport's largest air carrier with nearly 70 daily flights. TWA (through its successor American Airlines) continues to use the overhaul base although on a diminished 900-employee basis. At 10,000 acres (40 km²), it is one of the largest airfields in the United States. In addition to passenger service, the airport is an active general aviation field, and a very active cargo airport. In 2006 it served 10.6 million passengers, making it overall one of the busiest airports in the United States. DesignImage:Kci.JPG KCI's unique design as seen from the air. MCI passenger terminals have a unique structure comprising 3 terminals in the shape of rings. Each ring has short term parking in the center of the ring. Thus, it is possible for a traveler to park, walk no more than a hundred feet, and go directly to their gate. Arriving travelers can leave their gate, and walk immediately out of the terminal without passing through any corridors. The Kansas City Airport also has several off site airport parking facilities. Slogans at the time of the bond issue were "The world's shortest walk to fly" and "Drive to your gate."[2] A scheduled 4th ring as well as a fourth 15,100 foot runway have never been built. Kansas City and the airlines have opted against any "people movers" connecting the three rings. Instead frequent buses take passengers around the rings. Initially there was a charge of 25 cents to ride the bus. However following a massive outcry by travelers the charge was lifted and transportation is now free. Security issuesThe three-ring design makes it one of the most passenger friendly airports in the world, but it was conceived before skyjacking and terrorism became a part of the air travel mentality. Therefore, the airport is very expensive to operate, since rather than having a single security checkpoint to pass through, each cluster of gates (generally 3-5) must have its own x-ray, metal detector and guards. This expense caused TWA to use Lambert Field in St. Louis as its hub rather than MCI. After the establishment of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), MCI was one of five airports where the TSA has experimented with using independent contractors to provide all traveler inspector services. The airport uses FirstLine Transportation Security, an independent contractor who conforms to TSA's recruiting and training standards. TSA supervises these independent contractors, but they are not federal employees. See: TSA Announcement of Private Security Screening Pilot Program RenovationsA $258 million Terminal Improvement Project was completed in November 2004. Under lead designer 360 Architecture, the following improvements were made: •Increased the size of each structural bay to provide larger vestibules, additional space for concessions, more public seating and improved customer service •The addition of retail space at curbside and airside to provide improved customer service •A more functional and cost effective signage solution that relocates associated mechanical ductwork to the apron level below, thus exposing more of the existing concrete and original structure while allowing more natural light into the concourse areas. Other improvements include new finishes throughout, new entrance vestibules to improve the air lock between the building interior and exterior, new baggage claim devices, updated retail areas, new exterior glazing and a common design for ticket counters that includes sunshade devices. All three terminals now include blue terrazzo floors [3] (which won a 2002 Honor Award from The National Terrazzo and Mosaic Association), updated arrival/departure screens and restrooms and concessions are now available inside passenger holding areas. The overall improvement project for KCI will continue through 2007 with a new rental car facility and additional art fixtures. In 2006 the airport began offering free Wi-Fi. Transportation to and from the airportWhile MCI is conveniently located on major highways Interstate 29 and Interstate 435, it is 15 miles from downtown and even further from common destinations in the southern suburbs. The paucity of other transportation make renting a car the default option. Most national franchises are represented at off-site locations. A consolidated rental car facility is currently under construction. The Kansas City Area Transportation Agency operates one public bus service to the airport, route 129x. It only operates 18 times per day, between 6 AM and 6 PM, Monday-Friday. It operates between a stop in Terminal C (only) and the downtown bus center with intermediate stops. Systemwide fare is $1.25 as of 2006. A number of private scheduled shared shuttle services operate from MCI to regional cities (including Saint Joseph, Missouri; Columbia, Missouri; Topeka, Kansas; Lawrence, Kansas); and military bases (Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri). In November 2006, voters of Kansas City approved a 25-year extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax that will help pay for a light rail system. Initial plans call for a rail line extending from Kansas City International Airport in the north, to Swope Park, Starlight Theater Kansas City, and the Kansas City Zoo in the south, creating another transportation option for travelers in and out of KCI. Terminals, airlines and destinationsTerminal AGates A1 - A30
Image:DSC02118.JPG United Airlines Aircraft in Terminal A
Terminal BGates B31 - B60
Terminal CGates C61 - C90
Popular CultureThe Kansas City International Airport was featured in episode 63 of the Discovery Channel television series Dirty Jobs. The episode featured the Southwest Airlines baggage handling system and the airport incinerator. It originally aired on February 20, 2007. An episode set to air later in 2007 will feature Rowe cleaning out a paint truck at KCI. [4] References
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