KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wanda Horne and her family walked into Kansas City International’s Terminal C to find practically empty hallways and no wait times at the check in counter.
“It’s so dead,” Horne said. “It really surprised me.”
The central Missouri residents left their homes hours in advance, prepared to wait their turn for baggage check-in, security screenings and their place on the plane.
Instead, the Horne’s found a quiet spot in baggage claim to enjoy each other’s company before heading to their gate.
“I was expecting more people to be honest,” said Jorge Uribe, a Topeka resident. “I mean it’s nice, it’s light.”
KCI is expecting 350,000 passengers through the airport in its last Thanksgiving travel period before a move to the single terminal airport early next year.
The estimates did not quite reach 2019 pre-pandemic projections of 400,000 travelers.
Kansas Citians embraced the quaint hallways of each terminal in their last few months of operation.
“We’re glad, when we come from Florida it’s just packed all the time,” said Rene Parson, a former Kansas City resident. “To come here it’s refreshing, really.”
The Parson family now lives out east but chose to spend Thanksgiving with their family who remained in the City of Fountains.
Rene’s daughter, Hannah, appreciated a light travel day for many in our area.
“It made my day easier,” Hannah Parson said. “I wasn’t mad about it.”
KCI is expecting flights on Saturday and Sunday to bring in more than 68,000 people through the terminals this weekend.
—
