We need a new airport!!!

[KCMax]

KCI may close Terminal A by year’s end

Kansas City International Airport may close Terminal A by year’s end as a result of the American Airlines-US Airways merger, a Kansas City Aviation Department spokesman said Thursday.

[TheBigChuckbowski]

But it's impossible to move airlines around under the current configuration.

[earthling]

Hopefully they won't tear down the terminal until there is solid funding in place for the new terminal. Each terminal can do up to 30 gates and going from 90 to 60 is really not as huge a loss as it may seem, there are probably not much more than 60 in use today anyway. Tampa and Portland airports do 14M-16M annual passenger traffic with about 60 gates. KCI has never done much more than 12M even during Braniff/Vanguard peaks, lately it's been around 10M. BTW, I was in Austin couple weeks ago and surprised they had <30 gates for such a high growth/destination city.

With all these mergers reducing service at nearly all but the top 15 airports, KCI could really use another Vanguard type startup to fill in many non-stop gaps.

[MidtownCat]

KCI may close Terminal A by year’s end

Kansas City International Airport may close Terminal A by year’s end as a result of the American Airlines-US Airways merger, a Kansas City Aviation Department spokesman said Thursday.

Wow. That's depressing.

[earthling]

No, it makes good economic sense for now and logistical sense for new terminal. See my post above. KCI is capable of 90 gates, other airports with much higher traffic have only 60. The new terminal can be built in that location, but hopefully they don't tear down old one until everything is financed and a solid go for new terminal.

[flyingember]

KCI may close Terminal A by year’s end

Kansas City International Airport may close Terminal A by year’s end as a result of the American Airlines-US Airways merger, a Kansas City Aviation Department spokesman said Thursday.

Wow. That's depressing.

saving money is depressing?

[Highlander]

BTW, I was in Austin couple weeks ago and surprised they had <30 gates for such a high growth/destination city.

I think going to two terminals will be good for KCI. It clearly was having too many issues with having operations spread out over 3 terminals given the traffic it has. It certainly will be more convenient for the airlines who had operations in two different terminals. I suspect it will be good for concessions etc at the same time although it may be less convenient for some passengers. Probably a good first step in moving towards the necassary and more efficient new single terminal.

Austin is visited mostly by Texans. From my house in Houston, it's a 2.5 hour drive. The airport in Houston is an hour away. About the same for Dallas. Even closer for San Antonio. It's tough to maintain a super busy airport with so many other large airports so close.

[shinatoo]

BTW, I was in Austin couple weeks ago and surprised they had <30 gates for such a high growth/destination city.

I think going to two terminals will be good for KCI. It clearly was having too many issues with having operations spread out over 3 terminals given the traffic it has. It certainly will be more convenient for the airlines who had operations in two different terminals. I suspect it will be good for concessions etc at the same time although it may be less convenient for some passengers. Probably a good first step in moving towards the necassary and more efficient new single terminal.

Austin is visited mostly by Texans. From my house in Houston, it's a 2.5 hour drive. The airport in Houston is an hour away. About the same for Dallas. Even closer for San Antonio. It's tough to maintain a super busy airport with so many other large airports so close.

It will cut some time off my ride from the Parking Spot. Hate touring terminal A.

[KCPowercat]

Good. Streamline the new terminal construction.

[MidtownCat]

saving money is depressing?

Yes. Vacant, abandoned buildings are depressing.

[mykem]

Good. Streamline the new terminal construction.

Yes, it looks like they are lining everything up for a quick demolition so they can start construction on the new terminal once funding is in place.

[MidtownCat]

Good. Streamline the new terminal construction.

Yes, it looks like they are lining everything up for a quick demolition so they can start construction on the new terminal once funding is in place.

Yep.

[im2kull]

Good. Streamline the new terminal construction.

Yes, it looks like they are lining everything up for a quick demolition so they can start construction on the new terminal once funding is in place.

And if that funding never comes?

[aknowledgeableperson]

The airport is rid of gates it no longer needs.

[earthling]

Makes sense to reduce down to 60 gates. However the terminal should not be torn down until new terminal is fully financed and is a solid go.

[mykem]

Good. Streamline the new terminal construction.

Yes, it looks like they are lining everything up for a quick demolition so they can start construction on the new terminal once funding is in place.

And if that funding never comes?

We'll see......Kind of curious who the architect will be. What materials will be used, and the overall layout of the new terminal.

[im2kull]

Yes, it looks like they are lining everything up for a quick demolition so they can start construction on the new terminal once funding is in place.

And if that funding never comes?

We'll see......Kind of curious who the architect will be. What materials will be used, and the overall layout of the new terminal.

None of which will be final until the day it opens, if even then. Don't hold your breath for something that will never look the way it was originally presented.

Makes sense to reduce down to 60 gates. However the terminal should not be torn down until new terminal is fully financed and is a solid go.

Exactly

[mykem]

None of which will be final until the day it opens, if even then. Don't hold your breath for something that will never look the way it was originally presented.

I fully expect there to be fluff in all that's been presented thus far. That's why I said, instead of trying to incorporate technology that's still experimental, may be they should just focus on some thing that's been built already (Indianapolis) and allow the airport's technology to grow over time.
Indianapolis' airport was started in 2005 and finished in 2008 with a budget of 1.1 billion dollars and was designed to handle 12.4 million passengers a year. True, 2005 dollars aren't the same as 2013 or 2015 dollars, but the scope of KCI's new airport plan isn't as large either.

[MidtownCat]

Sometimes I wish we still aspired to be a trend setting American city.

[STLguy1]

Ok, the problem with this closing is that the new terminal is going to be seen as less of a necessity now.

We are going to start hearing that the airport space is now "efficient" enough and a new terminal is excessive to build at this time.

So the proposal will likely be to connect the remaining two terminal better and to streamline security in the current config.

They will also propose tearing down the abandoned terminal A completely and this will cut into costs and budget for new terminal.