Airport Experience® News - ACDBE & Small Business Issue 2024

DIRECTOR’S CHAIR

TAKING MCI FORWARD With New Terminal Facility, Kansas City International’s Cooper Shares Vision For Growth

BY CAROL WARD

ditor’s Note: In February 2023, the new 40-gate terminal at Kansas City International Airport opened for commercial air service, replacing three aging terminals and an awkward layout that limited commercial activity at the airport. The one million square foot terminal was constructed with a budget of $1.5 billion and is the largest single infrastructure project in the city’s history. Nine months after the new terminal debuted, Melissa Cooper, was named aviation director for the Kansas City Aviation Department. Cooper had built her career at MCI over 17 years. Prior to being named director, she served as deputy director of aviation over properties and commercial development, a position from which she helped envision and launch the new facility. Now with nine months leading MCI, Cooper spoke with AXN’s Carol Ward about what’s next for the airport. E

WARD: You’re coming up on a year in the director role at Kansas City International. Can you share how the transition has gone? And with the big terminal project behind you, what’s your vision for MCI going forward? COOPER: Kansas City International Airport is a unique airport. With the old layout, we were in a small facility with multiple security checkpoints. We found that we didn’t even really know our passengers. With the new terminal we have had to learn how to be an airport [in the same vein] as other airports within our state and within the United States. We’ve learned who our passengers are. We’ve learned their needs. We’ve learned how to have airlines in the same space and be neighbors, and [we’ve learned] how to handle concessions with and actual [robust] program, which has been a real learning curve. Our vision for the next several years is to continue really learning our customers - our travelers as well as our partners and our airport stakeholders - and how they can work together and how we can be a benefit to them. Each day we’re looking at new challenges, just being more prepared and offering a first-class experience for our passengers.

WARD: I know the new terminal was controversial, especially in the early years of planning. Now that it’s been open for more than a year, what feedback have you gotten from passengers? COOPER: Our passengers, our city, they’re loving the new terminal. They like the openness. They like the convenience. They really love how they can get in, get through security, have options, have seating capacity, shop, eat and still get to their gates and be on their airplane within an hour or so. They really just love the facility and are proud to have it in Kansas City. WARD: MCI has seen quite strong passenger growth in recent years. What is contributing to the growth and how are you handling it? COOPER: Kansas City International is seeing strength and growth in our numbers. Unlike most of our peer airports where 2019 was a record year, our record years were in 2000 and 2001, pre 9/11. Now we’re seeing numbers rebound past 2019 numbers for Kansas City, but also approaching those 2000 numbers. The aviation industry is seeing a spike in growth. We see that in the

Above: Melissa Cooper, aviation director, Kansas City Aviation Department.

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AX NEWS JULY/AUGUST 2024