KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The march to build the new single terminal at KCI airport took another step forward Wednesday when several major airlines signed a term sheet for the project.
That term sheet, as well as the city’s development agreement for the project, will be up for discussion and eventually a vote at Kansas City, Missouri City Council meetings on Thursday.
The agreement required the support of airlines that combined to represent at least 60 percent of the landing weight at KCI.
41 Action News has learned that Southwest, Delta, United, Alaska, UPS, FedEx and American have all signed-off on the $1.5 billion project. The term sheet is one aspect of a larger use and lease agreement, which involves a nine-year lease.
Not all carriers signed off, including Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier Airlines. An airport official says those airlines will pay a premium to use the airport.
When asked about why it decided not to sign the agreement, Spirit sent the following statement to 41 Action News:
We acknowledge that the airport in Kansas City needs renovation, but it is also important to note that the exorbitant price tag for this project will lead to higher operating costs and therefore higher airfare for travelers. We will be watching this project closely in hopes it comes in considerably under budget. Spirit is committed to providing Kansas City with quality affordable air service for years to come, in fact we just added new nonstop service to Fort Lauderdale and are adding a new nonstop route to Myrtle Beach in May.
Council members still need to decide how work on the new KCI will be paid for until bond revenue comes in. Various options have been weighed, including borrowing from an outside lender and using airport revenue to pay Edgemoor.
