The first flights will depart from the New Single Terminal at Kansas City International Airport on February 28th. The day before, an Opening Ceremony will take place. After that, there will be an overnight switchover between the old terminal and the new terminal. This project set many records, including becoming the second LEED Gold airport in America and the largest LEED Gold airport. The Weitz team is proud to celebrate the historic upgrade of the airport and the greater community.
There have been many opportunities for Kansas City residents to get involved in the celebration and finalization of the project, including the Opening Ceremony and the official first operating day at the New Single Terminal.
The terminal was open to a small group of volunteers on February 14th to allow them to test it as if they were about board a flight. Volunteers were asked to take part in the check-in process, locate unique concessions and amenities, simulate the boarding process, collect luggage and test the facility’s wayfinding signage. The airport hosted a Community Open House on February 18th, inviting Kansas City residents to see and enjoy the new single terminal.
Ben Bunge, Director for Aviation at the Weitz Company, stated that “The world-class New Single Terminal” will be a pillar of this community for many decades to come and a destination for passengers who travel to see the Midwest. “Working with our partners on this project has been a highlight in my career. I couldn’t be more proud of the way our team worked together to ensure the project was delivered on time and to our partners.
The completion of the Kansas City International Airport’s New Single Terminal marks many milestones for The Weitz Company and the City of Kansas City. The airport, which replaces the three-terminal Kansas City International concept built in 1972, is Kansas City’s largest infrastructure project.
It’s the largest construction project in Weitz’s 167-year-old history. The New Single Terminal measures 1.1 million square footage and has 40 gates. It can expand to 50 gates in the future. It also includes moving walkways, a security check point, the first wireless bus charging stations, a covered garage with over 6,300 spaces, and glass passenger-boarding bridges at all gates. This makes Kansas City International Airport the largest allglass facility in the U.S.
The New Single Terminal will also be a celebration of Kansas City, with 80% the concession and retail brands represented at the terminal being local. The terminal will also feature legendary KC barbecue. The Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned Competitor Series competition, the Made for KC BBQ Championship, was created to give an area competition barbeque team the opportunity of serving as pitmaster in Concourse B for a year. Meat Mitch BBQ will also be located in Concourse A.
The New Single Terminal will be celebrating the completion this historic project. However, this will also serve as an opportunity to recognize the many workers and partners who made this project possible. More than 6,000 construction jobs were created by the Build KCI project. Additionally, more than 240 Kansas City-area businesses contributed to the project. The project also included more than 130 minority and women-owned businesses partners.
Weitz’s airport portfolio has been developed over the past four decades. It includes a variety of landside and aerial projects at military, international, and municipal airfields. The Weitz Company provides in-depth expertise in terminals and taxiways, runways.