Airlines cancel most morning flights out of KCI today

Airlines have canceled most morning flights out of Kansas City International Airport today because of the winter storm moving through the area.

About a dozen flights that leave before 1 p.m. are reported to be on time, according to www.FlyKCI.Com. Flights appear to be returning to normal after 1 p.m.

The flight information is provided by the airlines and is updated every minute.

As of 6:15 a.m., 66 flights out of KCI had been canceled for today. All but five of them were scheduled to leave before noon. Meanwhile, seven flights scheduled to depart this morning were scheduled as on time.

“About 8:20 a.m., we started to see arrivals,” said Joe McBride, a spokesman for KCI. “The flight information board shows that after noon, we are seeing more arrivals and departures than cancelations.”

Field maintenance crews have been working on a rotational basis since the last storm to clear the runways.

KCI was able to use its two north-south runways, which helped crews keep the runways clear. During last week’s storm, the strong winds required the airport to use its single east-west runway.

“This storm was easier to contend with because the visibilities were better,” McBride said.

People flying out of KCI today are encouraged to check the status of their flights with their airlines or http://www.flykci.com before leaving for the airport.