Southwest Airlines employees take a selfie with the final flight to take off from Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City.
Nick Wagner
nwagner@kcstar.com
Kansas City is waking up today to the spectacle of a brand new airport terminal.
For that to happen the old terminal had to have its final moments as a functioning facility for passengers to arrive and depart as they have there for more than 50 years.
The new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport served its first passengers this morning with the boarding of a flight to Chicago around 5 a.m. About four hours before that, the final arrival at the old KCI terminal was a Delta flight from Salt Lake City that arrived at Terminal B.
Here is a look at the final hours of operations at the old KCI terminal.
Jere and Veronica Sellers wear custom shirts to mark the occasion of being onboard both the final flight out of KCI’s old terminals and the first flight scheduled to arrive to the new terminal on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Eric Jaynes and Christy Keeling pose for a photo with their boarding passes before boarding the final flight to take off from Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Gary Morsch celebrates as his boarding group is called to board the last commercial flight to depart from Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Morsch and his son Graham booked themselves on both the final flight out of KCI’s old terminals and the first flight scheduled to arrive to the new terminal. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Southwest Airlines employees send off the final passenger to board the final flight to take off from Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Passengers aboard Southwest Airlines flight 3369 peer out from the windows of a Boeing 737-700 airliner before it took off as the final flight from Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 airliner taxis to a runway from gate 34 of terminal B as the final flight from Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Lights from a jet bridge illuminate the tarmac outside of terminal B on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
People exit the gate area in terminal B after exiting a flight on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Zac Shaw yawns while waiting inside terminal B on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
A Southwest Airlines kiosk remains in an empty terminal B on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
The terminal B hallway remains empty on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Carson Weir moves wheelchairs outside of terminal B on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
A few travelers and airline workers walk through the terminal B hallway on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
A security worker walks past an empty KC Marketplace shop inside terminal B on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
Signage indicates an out of service water fountain on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
A Southwest Airlines plane sits at a gate of the Kansas City International Airport’s new terminal on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
A balloon reading “Welcome Home” remains against the ceiling of terminal B on the last day of operation at Kansas City International Airport’s old terminals on Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Kansas City. Nick Wagner nwagner@kcstar.com
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 6:03 AM.
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Visuals Editor Chris Ochsner leads The Star’s talented staff of photojournalists and video producers. He’s had his hand in directing visuals coverage since 2002. Ochsner led the visuals team in its coverage of four Super Bowls and two World Series.
