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As KCI's Terminal A Closes Its Doors, Airport Future Still Uncertain

Julie Denesha
/
KCUR

Overnight Wednesday, movers hauled US Airways' remaining equipment out of KCI Terminal A to Terminal C, but the future of KCI remains undecided.

City officials say Terminal A won’t necessarily be demolished, but closing little-used Terminal A saves about $2.5 million a year, says Joe McBride with city aviation.

Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
/
KCUR
Frequent water leaks in a service area beneath Terminal A have been cited as a problem.

"Close the doors and lock them up and turn the heat down in the wintertime and not cool it in the summer," says McBride of the money-saving measures going in place. "So, should we need to fire-up the boilers - if you will - and get things going if we have a significant expansion in the airlines, we could do that."

There’s no decision yet whether to build a new single terminal airport. Renovating the three terminals is also still on the table.

John Murphy of the group “Friends of KCI” hopes the city will wait for a referendum on the larger airport question.

“We’re hopeful they’ll take the policy of restoring the terminals rather than tearing down and building anew," says Murphy. "We’ve always maintained the terminals are functional. They need a little TLC but not a complete gut renovation.” 

Once the last parked cars are gone, the Terminal A lots will be closed to the public

The Kansas City Council Thursday takes up the referendum on KCI's future.

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