A great deal of concern has been expressed over the design of future terminal facilities at KCI.
Most comments cite ease of use and lack of congestion at security checkpoints.
Some have correctly pointed out that the current terminal design, which is not “hub friendly,” has fostered competition among KCI’s many air carriers, resulting in more diverse route structures and lower fares for the region’s air travelers.
It would be helpful if we could all take a deep breath and realize a few important facts:
•The planning underway must take place to update the airport’s master plan and has a relatively long time horizon.
• Nothing stays the same and planners must try, based on current trends, to anticipate the future requirements of the airline industry and the public.
•Airlines are being subjected to market forces that were not anticipated or planned for, and will surely leave some of the weaker carriers financially unviable.
Airports of the future, due primarily to the escalation of jet fuel prices and the consolidation of carriers and routes this will cause, will need to become more efficient business partners to the remaining carriers.
Reduction and containment of airport operating costs, along with the maximization of airport revenue, will be paramount and may even determine which cities retain multiple carriers.
We should all realize that our “new airport” is now 36 years old and that while we love the drive-to-your-gate design, there are substantive efficiency issues that increase the operating costs paid by the airlines.
The obvious and frequently cited cost of manifold security checkpoints is but one of these. There are also issues involving taxiing distances and the relatively slow movement of aircraft around KCI’s interior taxiways and circular ramps. These factors, taken together, increase aircraft fuel consumption.
Snow removal around our circular terminals is also far more difficult and time-consuming than similar operations adjacent to linear structures.
These and other inefficiencies involving traveler access to airport concessions and the poor retailing environment within KCI’s terminals will become more critical issues in the future business environment facing airlines and airport operators alike.
Kansas City’s Aviation Department is well managed and has done an admirable job of serving the region’s air travelers by balancing customer services and amenities against the cost required to provide them.
I am certain that the aviation director, his staff and their consultants are considering all of these factors.
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