A new $1.5 billion terminal at Kansas City International Airport opened today, marking the first major update to the facility since the airport opened in 1972, according to the airport. The terminal opened with 40 gates and can expand to up to 50 in the future.
Southwest Airlines has the most gates at 10, according to the airport, and has the most flights out of the airport, according to the carrier. It also is the chair of the Airport Airlines Affairs Committee at the airport, “advocating on behalf of the airlines serving the community,” according to a Southwest spokesperson.
Delta Air Lines is the only carrier to have a lounge in the new facility, according to the airport. The 11,200-sq.ft. Delta Sky Club can hold nearly 200 guests and includes two Sky Decks with views of the airfield. There also is a premium bar, a full buffet and an art program featuring regional artists.
Additional major carriers set to fly out of the airport include JetBlue, United Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
The new terminal features two moving walkways that can carry passengers between the two concourses. There are 16 security checkpoint lanes, a new 6,200-space adjacent parking garage, a sensory room, all-gender and gender-specific restrooms with changing tables, 10 nursing rooms, more than 40 local restaurant options, indoor and outdoor pet-relief areas, a children’s play area, and outdoor courtyard and stages for live music.
The building is LEED Gold-certified and uses an estimated 20 percent less power than the former airport terminals, according to the airport. Solar panels cover the south side of the garage. The terminal’s all-electric buses are the first in the country to charge as they stop to load and unload passengers, using induction charging pads.
The facility also was built with sloped floors instead of ramps for easier navigation for passengers with mobility challenges, according to the airport, and to help deaf passengers there will be visual paging at major information displays throughout the terminal.
