Modernization of KCI is Complete
By Mike Rice, The Kansas City Star, Mo.
Jun. 13–Since 2001, Kansas City International Airport has been in a constant state of change.
The three terminals have been renovated. New parking lots have been built. Airlines have come and gone. And a wave of new security measures has been implemented in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001.
But with the recent completion of the $90 million consolidated rental car facility, the modernization of KCI is, for the most part, complete.
Travelers are no longer navigating through construction zones in the terminals or wondering what is being built on those huge chunks of graded land along Cookingham Drive, the main entry into KCI.
And they appear to be getting used to taking off their shoes and getting patted down by security screeners.
Yes, it is a new era for the country’s 35th-busiest airport. And it just so happens that in this new era, travelers are descending upon KCI in numbers not seen since the pre-9/11 days and paying relatively little to fly.
The year 2006 was the sixth busiest year in KCI’s 35-year history. Almost 10.6 million travelers passed through the airport’s gates — an 8.6-percent increase over 2005.
And the numbers likely will be higher in 2007. Through April, passenger numbers have been up every month compared to the same time last year, according to data from the Kansas City Aviation Department.
"While 2007 is off to a great start, the remainder of the year looks to be even better," Aviation Director Mark VanLoh said. "By November, the airlines at KCI will offer non-stop service to 70 destinations, up from 57 last year."
The healthy passenger figures come after several years of declining or flat numbers after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Adding to the decline was the demise of Vanguard Airlines in 2002. At the time, it was the airport’s second busiest carrier.
But April 2007 marked the 16th consecutive month of increasing passenger numbers.
VanLoh attributes those positive numbers to the variety of airlines that serve KCI. Southwest, the airport’s busiest airlines, has 37 percent of the business while the next busiest, Midwest and American, have 12 and 10 percent respectively.
The airport has major carriers such as United, Delta, Northwest, Continental and US Airways, and smaller companies that recently have launched or expanded service at KCI. They include Frontier, Air Tran, Skybus, ExpressJet and Mesa.
Because no airline dominates the airport, travelers have more choices of airlines. That has created plenty of airline competition, which has led to fares being as low as $49 for a round-trip ticket to Denver, VanLoh said.
"People from as far as Sioux City, Iowa, are driving down to KCI, and passing airports in Des Moines and Omaha, to take advantage of our low fares and available non-stop flights," he said.
KCI received more good news last month when J.D. Power and Associates ranked it No. 1 among medium-size airports in its 2007 North America Airport Satisfaction Study.
The study was based on surveys taken from 10,200 passengers on eight airport issues — accessibility, baggage claim, check-in and baggage check, terminal facilities, security checks, food and beverage, retail services and immigration and customs control.
Despite all the good news and the completion of the three major capital projects of this decade — the terminal renovations, economy parking lot and rental car facility — airport officials are not resting comfortably.
They are now focused on a long-range master plan, which could determine whether the three terminals should eventually be replaced with one and whether an additional runway will have to someday be built.
VanLoh said the federal government does not like the three-terminal system because of the multiple security checkpoints it requires.
The Aviation Department also is looking at ways to put the 8,000 acres of vacant airport property to a more profitable use for the city.
Last year, the Aviation Department entered into an agreement with Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co. to be the master developer of a 640-acre parcel of airport property southeast of the KCI airfield. The company is planning to break ground later this year on a 300,000 square-foot distribution center.
And earlier this year, the Aviation Department signed a contract with a company that will build a motor sports track on 300 acres west of the airfield. The track is being touted as a "motor sports country club," in which paying members will be able to race their sports cars and other street-legal autos and motorcycles on a 3.7-mile track.
The agreement will net the city more than $27.5 million over the next 50 years.
The Aviation Department also successfully bid on the mostly vacant former headquarters of Farmland Industries, near Cookingham Drive and Interstate 29.
Those agreements have put the Aviation Department in a non-traditional role of office-leasing and land developing. But VanLoh said it would yield more financial dividends for the airport.
Since the purchase of the former Farmland headquarters, the building has become 46 percent occupied. And recently, Wire Rope Corporation of America Inc., a wire rope manufacturer, announced it was moving its corporate headquarters from St. Joseph to that building.
City Manager Wayne Cauthen said the purchase of the Farmland building will help bring in other types of revenue that will lead to lower costs for airlines and passengers.
"We are enthused that Wire Rope Corporation of America had the vision to select this building and we welcome them to Kansas City," he said.
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To reach Mike Rice, call 816-234-5903 or send e-mail to mrice@kcstar.com.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Kansas City Star, Mo.
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