Much as I favor a new, modern, single terminal at KCI…
Don’t believe for a minute that we’ll see a noticeable uptick in arrivals and departures because of it.
Does anybody actually think our international service beyond Toronto and Cancun will dramatically increase? Or that the frequency of service to Chicago will as well?
Highly unlikely.
So WHY not?
These sorts of decisions are based on passenger demand – load factors – not nicer facilities.
Because when an airline can make more money deploying its aircraft to-and-from Denver instead of Kansas City—-they will.
Simple as that.
As an example, here are weekday and Saturday departures of KC’s No. 1 carrier at KCI to five non-stop destinations.
Southwest Airlines weekday and Saturday spring departures eight years ago:
KC–Chicago Midway—Weekdays 10 / Saturday’s 8
KC–Dallas Love Field–Weekdays 8 / Saturday’s 7
KC–Denver————–Weekdays 6 / Saturday’s 6
KC–Las Vegas———–Weekdays 5 / Saturday’s 4
KC–St. Louis———– Weekdays 5 / Saturday’s 4
Now compare Southwest’s departures to these same five non-stop markets today:
KC–Chicago Midway—Weekdays 8 / Saturday’s 4
KC–Dallas Love Field–Weekdays 5 / Saturday’s 4
KC–Denver————–Weekdays 4 / Saturday’s 4
KC–Las Vegas———–Weekdays 4 / Saturday’s 3
KC–St. Louis————Weekdays 3 / Saturday’s 2
Do you see a trend?
They’re are all down even though KCI passenger traffic has been generally up.
However probably not enough to sustain the kind of flight frequency here versus utilizing the planes in better yielding markets.
So what IS the answer?
That’s way above my pay grade.
Just don’t blow smoke up Kansas City voters you-know-whats by telling them that a new terminal will bring all kinds of new flights to KCI and that currently connecting flight destinations will suddenly receive seamless non-stop service from here.
That’s just not in the cards, folks.
I’m not saying you’re wrong, Jack. In fact, I generally agree with you. I think you’re more than likely correct. Also, I, too, favor a new single terminal with more amenities and I also think that the current curb-to-gate and/or parking lot-to-gate convenience that everybody loves can be maintained in a new facility.
But it’s worth mentioning that part of the business case for a new terminal has always been that the airport is our so-called “front yard” and that businesses that are thinking of moving here or doing more business here see the current dump and are immediately turned off when they deplane. Now, I know that Hearne loves to throw cold water on the notion of anyone ever doing business in KC, let alone actually MOVING here to do business, but if you buy that argument, then it stands to reason that more companies doing business here would drive load factors to warrant more flights.
It’s also worth mentioning that even if we don’t get MORE flights, airlines have been threatening that without the new facility, they will be cutting flights. I’ve heard it suggested that the current facility is not fitted for newer planes (I have no idea if that’s true although I do know that current jetway configurations are too small for some of the giant newer airplanes, but we were probably never going to get those monstrosities flying through here anyway). But even if we can retrofit for new aircraft, if the airlines are serious about the threat, they may never give us MORE flights, but they can certainly take some away.
Good points, Gavin!
My favorite line often thrown around by politicians is that with a new airport terminal we’ll get more ‘NON-STOP’ flights.
Guess what, EVERY FLIGHT departing KCI is a non-stop flight to somewhere. It may not necessarily be where you want to go, but it’s non-stop—-unless, of course, it crashes before it gets to its non-stop destination.
Build an airport in joco. That’s where everyone is…..
It will go great with clark’s plans to build an arena in joco.
lets get progressive and make things happen.
As far as flights….kc just doesn’t havethe flow of passengers to be a hub
again. Had our chance. But kc officials blew it.
Well, the airlines decide where to place the hubs and they don’t always make their decisions based on population. Salt Lake City has a population half the size of KC but they’re a hub for Delta. If you build an airport that is big enough and has the right amenities, any airline could, in theory, make you a hub. But there’s no way KC should build an airport of that size without having some deals firmly in place that an airline will absolutely make us a hub, because that would be a waste of time and money.
Also, being a hub is a double-edged sword. You do get a lot more flights to a lot more places, which is great. But you also tend to be dominated by one airline, which reduces not only choice but also competition, meaning fares tend to go up. As it is right now, fares and flights from Kansas City are pretty competitive and not all that expensive.
I would be all in favor of Kansas building an airport out by Olathe. It would be a hell of a lot more convenient for me personally. The problem is that Kansas doesn’t have any money and a new airport will cost literally billions of dollars. I know we’d take out bonds to do it, but our budget woes of the last few years have hit our credit rating so it’s harder for us to even take out the bonds in the first place. Never mind that the Kansas legislature doesn’t have the time and wherewithal to even resolve its normal obligations to put forth a budget and handle school financing within its regularly scheduled session. They run long every year just mis-handling their normal fuggery. There’s no way they could possibly find the brainspace necessary to resolve a giant project like this, even one that would ultimately bring amazing good to Kansas and that would ultimately be paid for by people who use the facility and not by taxpayers.
keep kci…remodel. Close down some terminals….
add a airport in joco like john wayne in orange county.
best idea…..and it would make sense since most people flying live in joco.
be bold…..these airlines aremaking so much money right now they can kick
people off flights and lose 25million.
Disappointing (and a bit surprising) that your overview of all this is so narrow, boomy.
Old age is a bitch, I guess
Jackie
KCI is 38th largest airport in u.s. with 5 million passengers a year.
Atlanta has over 40 million…
5 million is small compared to the to 10 airports in u.s.
not much traffic thru kc…..
maybe we’re destined to be flyover country.
KCMO can spend all the money they want and can squeeze from residents.
Ilove joco. reopen mci. I don’t know or care as long as I don’t have to connect thru
chicago or atlanta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like the way we’re being told that the airlines will pay for it.
Well yes—and no.
That’s what they’re doing anyway.
It’s called paying landing fees—which could go up, of course.
On top of that there are the PFC fees (Passenger Facility Charge) paid via your ticket price—which also could go up.
Add parking, concession, rental car, airline counter space, and other fees to it and that’s how this thing could be paid for.
In other words nothing really new—just possible increases in landing and PFC fees. And those could be passed on to you and me…….
I avoid some connecting flights where I hate an airport. I am not alone.
I avoid chicago (both airports) and atlanta….weather changes so quickly in both
places you never know whats happening in those cities….
One of the “features” of the 1 terminal designs is fewer gates. Curious how that doesn’t get mentioned much.
I would be all for a JoCo airport, but we don’t have the land, the money, or the will to do it.
As for maintaining the convenience of the current design, there is no chance of that with the current security rules and regulations that apply to new construction.
If you really want to make airport travel easier in KC, build a limited-stop light rail from the airport to somewhere like the former Great Mall of the Great Plains (perhaps with a stop at the former Indian Springs Mall).
WRONG DAVID….there is the will…there is the money…but it has to be
a connector port. KCI non stops are dwindling and the movements of
population is moving way south.
Look at Los Angeles and see what they did. with one terminal kci
might be very very busy combining all flights into one terminal.
there can be an airport in JOCO…as it grows further and further south.