Lois Larson
Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI, FAA LID: MCI) is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri, located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Downtown Kansas City. The airport was originally called Mid-Continent International Airport, and so the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) adopted MCI as the airport's designator code. The airport was opened in 1972, and a new complex was completed in 2023, replacing the old one. Kansas City International Airport serves the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and is the primary passenger airport for much of western Missouri and eastern Kansas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Kansas City International Airport |
| Former Name | Mid-Continent International Airport |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Distance from Downtown Kansas City | 15 miles (24 km) |
| Year Opened | 1972 |
| New Terminal Opened | 2023 |
| Airport Code | MCI |
| Local Name | KCI |
| Number of Runways | 3 |
| Number of Gates | 40 |
| Daily Arrivals and Departures (as of October 2022) | 303 |
| Number of Airports with Nonstop Service (as of October 2022) | 47 |
| Airports with Nonstop Service (select) | Cancún, Montego Bay, San José del Cabo, Toronto |
| Area | 10,680 acres (16.7 sq mi; 43.2 km2) |
| Ranking in US (Excluding Military Airfields and General Aviation Airports) | 6th |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Kansas City International Airport's official name and code
The official name of the airport in Kansas City is Kansas City International Airport. The airport's official code is MCI. However, locals often refer to the airport as KCI.
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri. It is located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri. The airport was opened in 1972, replacing Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC). It serves the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and is the primary passenger airport for much of western Missouri and eastern Kansas. The airport covers 10,680 acres (16.7 sq mi; 43.2 km2) and has three runways.
The airport's original name was Mid-Continent International Airport, and its code was derived from this original name. The airport's IATA designation is MCI, its ICAO code is KMCI, and its FAA LID is also MCI. Kansas City attempted to change the airport's code to KCI, but this was not possible as the code had already been registered on navigational charts. The KCI designation is also already assigned to another airport, Kon Airport in East Timor.
Kansas City International Airport has a single terminal with 40 gates and two concourses. Concourse A has 13 gates (A1–A20), while Concourse B has 27 gates (B40–B69). The airport has always been a civilian airport and has never been assigned an Air National Guard unit. It offers nonstop service to 47 airports, including Cancún, Montego Bay, San José del Cabo, and Toronto.
Exploring the World: Do Layovers Count as Visiting a Country?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Why locals call it KCI
Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI, FAA LID: MCI) is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri. The airport was opened in 1972 and replaced Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC), which served Kansas City from 1927 until it was deemed too small to expand to meet growing demands.
Kansas City locals often refer to the airport as KCI, even though its official code is MCI. This is a common occurrence, as many regional areas call their airports something different from their official IATA (International Air Transport Association) code or ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) code. For example, in Orange County, California, locals refer to John Wayne Airport as JWA, even though the airport code is SNA.
The use of KCI as an abbreviation for Kansas City International Airport may be influenced by the desire to include the initials "KC" to represent Kansas City. This abbreviation also aligns with the website domain flykc.com, which was previously flykci.com.
The airport code MCI is derived from the airport's original name, Mid-Continent International Airport, which was renamed Kansas City International Airport in 1972 when commercial air service was moved from the downtown airport. The code has remained MCI due to the difficulty of changing established airport codes.
While the airport is officially known as MCI, the use of KCI by locals reflects a common practice of adopting shorter and more convenient abbreviations for airport names, even if they differ from the official codes.
Gainesville, Florida: Airport Accessibility and Travel Options
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The history of the airport
Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI, FAA LID: MCI) is a public airport in Kansas City, Missouri. It is located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri. The airport was opened in 1972 and replaced Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC), which had served Kansas City from 1927 until it was deemed too small to expand to meet growing demand.
Kansas City International Airport was originally called Mid-Continent International Airport, and thus received the official code of MCI. The airport and airfield actually opened much earlier, in the mid-1950s, as an overhaul base for Trans World Airlines. At that time, the Kansas City Municipal Airport was the primary airport for Kansas City. It wasn't until 1972 when commercial air service was moved from the downtown airport to the one in the Northland that Mid-Continent International was renamed Kansas City International Airport. The code, however, remained the same.
Kansas City International Airport has always been a civilian airport and has never been assigned an Air National Guard unit. The airport covers 10,680 acres (16.7 sq mi; 43.2 km2) and has three runways. Since opening in 1972, MCI has more than doubled its footprint, from 4,500 acres to 10,680 acres today. Excluding military airfields and general aviation airports, MCI ranks sixth in the United States in terms of overall acreage for a commercial/public airport.
In October 2022, there were 303 daily arrivals and departures, with nonstop service offered to 47 airports, including Cancún, Montego Bay, San José del Cabo, and Toronto. A new terminal was completed in February 2023, bringing 39 new gates, 6,100 new parking spots, and an improved travel experience for local and global visitors.
La Guardia Airport: A Traveler's Experience
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The airport's size and location
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, in Platte County. The airport covers 10,680 acres (16.7 sq mi; 43.2 km2) and has three runways.
The airport property was originally in an unincorporated area of Platte County until Platte City, Missouri, annexed it during construction. Kansas City eventually annexed the airport. The airport was opened in 1972, replacing Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC), which had served Kansas City from 1927 until it was deemed too small to expand to meet growing demand.
Kansas City International Airport has grown significantly since its opening, more than doubling its footprint. It now ranks sixth in the United States in terms of overall acreage for a commercial/public airport, excluding military airfields and general aviation airports.
The airport features a single terminal with 40 gates and two concourses. Concourse A has 13 gates (A1–A20), while Concourse B has 27 gates (B40–B69). A $258 million terminal renovation was completed in November 2004, which included increasing the size of each structural bay to provide larger spaces for various amenities and services.
In 2017, Kansas City residents approved the construction of a new addition to the airport, which included 39 new gates, 6,100 new parking spots, and enhanced travel experiences for both local and global visitors. The new terminal opened in 2023, meticulously designed for seamless travel and offering a warm welcome to all travellers.
Glasgow Airport Shopping: What's Available Before Your Flight?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The airport's terminals and runways
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. It serves the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and is the primary airport for western Missouri and eastern Kansas. The airport covers 10,680 acres (16.7 sq mi; 43.2 km2) and has three runways.
The airport was opened in 1972 and has always been a civilian airport. It replaced Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC) in 1972, with all scheduled passenger airline flights moved from MKC to MCI. Kansas City International Airport features a single terminal with 40 gates and two concourses: Concourse A has 13 gates (A1–A20), and Concourse B has 27 gates (B40–B69). The airport has undergone several renovations and expansions over the years, including a $258 million terminal renovation completed in November 2004, which increased the size of each structural bay to provide larger spaces for vestibules, concessions, retail, and public seating, as well as new bathrooms inside the security area.
In late 1994, an entire north/south parallel runway was built, allowing for simultaneous operations and further reducing delays. A new control tower was added in 1996 to accommodate the growing flight schedule and demands. On November 17, 2017, Kansas City residents approved the construction of a new terminal, which opened on February 28, 2023. This new terminal added 39 new gates and 6,100 new parking spots, enhancing the travel experience for both local and global visitors.
The airport features two parallel runways with staggered thresholds, designated RWY 1L/19R and RWY 1R/19L, separated by almost 6,600 feet. A third runway, RWY 9/27, intersects with RWY 1R/19L. A complex taxiway (TWY) system connects all runways with commercial facilities, including the Fixed Base Operation in the northwest corner. The airspace at MCI is classified as Class B.
Calgary Airport: Money Exchange Availability and Options
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The name of the airport is Kansas City International Airport.
The airport was originally called Mid-Continent International Airport, hence the code MCI.
Although locals refer to the airport as KCI, the official IATA code is MCI. Airport codes in the US cannot start with N, W, or K.
