Ruth Haines
Kansas City International Airport is commonly referred to as KCI by locals, even though its official airport code is MCI. The airport was originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, from which the MCI code was derived. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) assigns airport codes, and it is challenging to change them. The KCI code is already assigned to another airport, and changing Kansas City's airport code could potentially trigger a chain reaction of designation changes worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official name of the airport | Kansas City International Airport |
| Airport code | MCI |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Distance from Downtown Kansas City | 15 miles |
| Area | 10,680 acres |
| Number of runways | 3 |
| Previous name | Mid-Continent International Airport |
| Reason for airport code MCI | Derived from the previous name |
| Why not KCI? | KCI is assigned to another airport by IATA |
| Reason for common usage of KCI | Locals refer to the airport by its previous name |
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What You'll Learn
The airport was originally named Mid-Continent International Airport
Kansas City International Airport was opened in 1972, replacing Kansas City Municipal Airport (MKC). The new airport was built after the Great Flood of 1951 destroyed the facilities of both of Kansas City's airlines, Mid-Continent Airlines and TWA, at Fairfax Municipal Airport. When the new airport was built, it was assigned MCI for Mid-Continent International. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) adopted MCI as the airport's designator code.
Kansas City locals often refer to the airport as KCI, which is not an official IATA code. This is a common occurrence, as many regional areas call their airports something different from their official IATA codes. For example, in Orange County, California, people refer to John Wayne Airport as JWA, even though the airport code is SNA.
The city government has requested to change the airport's original FAA location identifier from MCI to Mid-Continent (KCI). However, this has not been possible because the new code would then be assigned to another airport, forcing a chain reaction of designation changes across the globe. Additionally, the original code had already been registered on navigational charts, and the FAA is reluctant to change names in such cases.
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Kansas City locals refer to the airport as KCI
Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI, FAA LID: MCI) was originally called Mid-Continent International Airport, so the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) adopted MCI as the airport's designator code. The city government has requested to change its original FAA location identifier of MCI for Mid-Continent, but the airport has been unable to do so as it had already been registered on navigational charts.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the time reserved all call letters with "K" or "W" for radio and television stations, so KCI was not viable. The W" and "K" restrictions have since been lifted, but the FAA is reluctant to change names that have appeared on navigational charts. The KCI" IATA designation is also already assigned to another airport, Kon Airport in East Timor.
It is common for airports to be referred to by a different name than their official IATA code. For example, in Orange County, California, people refer to John Wayne Airport as JWA, even though the airport code is SNA. Chicago media also refer to O'Hare and Midway rather than the full names of the airports.
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KCI is already assigned to another airport
Kansas City International Airport's code is MCI, not KCI, because the KCI code is already assigned to another airport. The IATA code is a reflection of the airport's history. In this case, the airport was originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, from which the MCI code was created.
Kansas City International Airport has tried to change its code to KCI, but the request was denied because the KCI code is already assigned to Kon Airport in East Timor. Changing the code to KCI would also force a code change for Koolan Island Airport, potentially leading to even more confusion.
The city government has also tried to change the FAA location identifier of MCI for Mid-Continent, but this request was also denied because the code had already been registered on navigational charts. At the time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reserved all call letters with "K" or "W" for radio and television stations, so KCI was not viable. Although these restrictions have since been lifted, the FAA is reluctant to change names that have appeared on navigational charts.
The confusion caused by the airport's code is common, as regional areas often call their airports something different from the official IATA or ICEO code. For example, in Orange County, California, people refer to John Wayne Airport as JWA, even though the airport code is SNA.
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Airport codes cannot start with K, N or W
Kansas City International Airport (IATA: MCI, ICAO: KMCI, FAA LID: MCI) was originally called Mid-Continent International Airport, and so the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) adopted MCI as the airport's designator code. The city government has requested to change its original FAA location identifier of MCI for Mid-Continent, but the airport has been unable to. This is because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reserved call letters with "K" or "W" for radio and television stations, and N for aircraft. The K and W restrictions have since been lifted, but the FAA is reluctant to change names that have appeared on navigational charts.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) code is a four-letter identifier for airports. ICAO codes for airports in the contiguous US start with a "K". For example, the ICAO code for Los Angeles International Airport is KLAX. The ICAO code for an airport is what pilots will use to find it.
The IATA code is a three-letter code that refers to the airport's designator code. These codes are often different from the airport's common name. For example, in Orange County, California, people refer to John Wayne Airport as JWA, even though the airport code is SNA.
The FAA code is a three-letter identifier for airports. If the FAA code is three letters, a "K" is added to get the airport code. For example, EMT becomes KEMT.
The VOR identifier is for a navigational transmitter and is usually the same as the FAA code. However, the VOR identifier is transmitted over the audio in Morse code.
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IATA codes are hard to change
Kansas City International Airport (KCI) has the airport code MCI. This is because the airport was originally called Mid-Continent International Airport, so the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) adopted MCI as the airport's designator code.
While the airport's name changed, its code remained the same. This is a common occurrence, with many regional airports adopting unofficial names that differ from their IATA codes. For example, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, is commonly referred to as JWA, despite its official code being SNA.
IATA codes are an integral part of the travel industry and are essential for the smooth running of electronic applications and traffic documentation. They are used for reservations, schedules, timetables, telecommunications, ticketing, cargo documentation, and more.
Changing an IATA code can be challenging due to several factors. In the case of Kansas City International Airport, the city government has requested to change the code from MCI to KCI, but it has been difficult to do so because the original code has already been registered on navigational charts. The FAA is typically reluctant to change codes that have appeared on these charts. Additionally, the proposed code, KCI, is already assigned to another airport in East Timor, further complicating the change.
Other airports have also faced challenges when attempting to change their IATA codes. For example, Sioux City, Iowa, with the code SUX, has tried and been unsuccessful in changing its code. While it is possible for IATA codes to change, it is not a common occurrence, and airports typically retain their original codes even if their names change.
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Frequently asked questions
The airport was originally named Mid-Continent International Airport, from which the MCI code was created. The airport code KCI is currently assigned to Koolan Island Airport in Western Australia.
IATA codes are very difficult to change and require airports, airlines, and regulators to plan years for such a switch.
It is common for regional areas to call their airports something different than the official IATA code.
