Kansas City Airport

Kansas City International Airport, or MCI, started out in 1973 as a small airport designed as a "reliever" airport for the downtown airport. Though the downtown airport is obviously more convenient for travelers to the area, it is limited by its small size and short runways. Thus, nearly all air travelers visiting the area will touch down just outside of town at MCI.

A confusing aspect of the airport is the IATA code--MCI. While the call letters seem a bit incongruous with the name of the city it serves, they make a bit more sense when you consider the original name of the airport--Mid-Continent International. As if to make matters a bit more confusing however, the airport in Wichita, Kansas is actually currently named Mid-Continent Airport and sports the code ICT, which seems to make no sense at all!

Beyond the Odd Codes

While MCI is indeed an international airport, it mainly serves as the hub for Midwest Airlines. In years past, other airlines such as now-defunct Eastern and Braniff used MCI as their hub. Today, however, a large portion of air traffic in and out of the airport are cargo planes. Being right in the middle of the country, its easy to see why this is the case.

In November 2004, the Terminal Improvement Project was completed and the airport is now far more traveler friendly than in years past. The new renovations make security checkpoints faster and safer and dramatically reduce the time spent standing in line. While the main renovations are complete, travelers may continue to notice minor construction through 2006.