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Critics Express Concern Over Potential KCI Changes

Julie Denesha
/
KCUR

Mayoral investigators searching for best ways to improve Kansas City International Airport heard another barrage of public input Monday night.

Most of it was against radical change from multiple terminals. The most common sentiments were to update the existing structure.

Alan Norman said he finds the airport user-friendly but not perfect.

"There are some operating inefficiencies there and maintenance problems and security problems that are expensive," said Norman.

Former airport operations manager David Napoli said airlines don't like KCI as it is because it is expensive to operate from, the security isn't uniform and there are few restaurants.

Traci Bray is a former operator of a small Iowa airport and she worries a proposed single terminal design would hamper firefighting

"It just seems to me to increase risks dramatically," said Bray.

Bruce Peshoff thinks the search for solutions has been badly managed from the start.

"Slow down, because you're going to have a project that's not going to have buy-in," he said.

Two more public hearings are scheduled before April when the panel recommends a KCI for the future.

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