KCI opens guest passes for non-flyers
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Aviation Director Melissa Cooper talks to reporters about the new KCI guest pass. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
No plane ticket? No problem. The Kansas City International Airport is now allowing visitors without boarding passes into the terminal.
Why it matters: Gate-side greetings and send-offs are back at KCI for the first time since TSA was established in 2001.
- Plus, non-flyers can experience KCI's collection of artwork, restaurants and shops.
- First-time flyers can also use the guest pass to practice navigating the terminal.
Context: Airport leaders have been talking about implementing guest passes since KCI's new terminal opened in 2023.
- At least 12 other U.S. airports offer similar passes.
How it works: Visitors can apply online for free, first-come, first-served passes. The airport will admit up to 10 guest passes per hour.
- Guests will go through security and must present the guest pass plus a valid photo ID. Visitors using guest passes can't use TSA Pre-Check.
- Parents can register their children by adding a person to their guest pass, but all visitors must have passes regardless of age.
- Passes can be reserved up to one week in advance.
The fine print: Guest pass applicants won't find out if they're approved until the day before their visit.
Friction point: Travelers may be concerned about additional terminal traffic, but airport officials don't expect the guest passes to add significant time or congestion.
- "We are not going to create our own problems by allowing too many people to come through our gates," KCMO Aviation Director Melissa Cooper said at a news conference.
What they're saying: "No longer is KCI airport perhaps a place you go to maybe once or twice a year, but it's instead a place that everyone, every person throughout our region, gets a chance to be a part of," Mayor Quinton Lucas said.
Behind the scenes: Cooper said it took some time working with TSA to set up the vetting process, buy the right equipment, and ensure volume and safety control given the airport's size.
If you go: Plan on hailing a ride or paying for parking, starting at $2 for half an hour in the garage.