Airlines Say New KCI Terminal Is Cheaper

The airlines serving Kansas City KCI airport are unanimously support building a new terminal.

The group made its preliminary recommendation to the City Council Tuesday.

The group presented the Council with 4 options; two to renovate the existing terminals and two more to build a new terminal.

“the major renovation options are estimated to be significantly higher than a billion dollars to construct,” said the groups spokesman Steve Sisneros of Southwest Airlines, KCI busiest airline.

While the new terminal options would be less than a billion, Sisneros added.

The opinion of the airlines is important since the seven airlines serving KCI will have to help pay the costs of any new or remodeled KCI.

That’s a reversal of expectations.

Very early estimates put the price of a new single terminal for KCI at $1.2 billion dollars.

Sisneros stressed this was a preliminary recommendation. But he suggested the City table consideration of renovating KCI and move toward building a new terminal.

Resistance continues to the proposal.
City Councilman Scot Wagner, who is opposed to the early single terminal project, said KCI curb-side convenience should not be let go.

Dan Coffey’s group who is pushing for a city wide vote on any airport project said he believes voters will still get the final say on the airport.

The new City council, which takes office within a few days will probably decide what to do with KCI, sometime in 2016.