Kansas City International airport reopens following hours-long evacuation over potential threat
Kansas City International Airport evacuated parts of its terminal Sunday afternoon due to a potential threat. The threat was reported at 11:15 a.m., leading to flights being held on the taxiway.
The terminal at Kansas City International Airport reopened Sunday afternoon, several hours after being evacuated as authorities investigated a potential threat, according to the Kansas City Aviation Department, as reported by Associated Press.
Airport spokesperson Jackson Overstreet said in an email shortly after 2 p.m. that the terminal was reopened. The evacuation began after a threat about three hours earlier.
Flights that landed during the shutdown were held on the taxiway.
Earlier, Portions of Kansas City International Airport were being evacuated Sunday afternoon as authorities looked into a potential threat, the Kansas City Aviation Department said, as reported by AP.
Airport spokesperson Jackson Overstreet said in an email that the threat was first reported at 11:15 a.m. local time and the entire terminal was evacuated. He said flights that have landed since then were being held on the taxiway.
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Kansas Airport reacts
In a post on X, Kansas City International Airport said, “The Kansas City Aviation Department is aware of a situation at Kansas City International Airport (MCI). As a precaution, the department has evacuated sections of the Airport Terminal.”
Airport Police are working with the FBI to substantiate any potential threat. Updates to follow, the post added.
Here's what FBI said
FBI spokesperson Dixon Land said in an email to The Associated Press that the “FBI is aware of the incident and our personnel are working with airport and law enforcement officials to determine the credibility of the threat.”
Logan Hawley, 29, said he was waiting to board a flight to Texas when he noticed a swarm of police and K9 units inside the terminal.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying ‘immediately evacuate,’ people got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said.
The group of roughly 2,000 people were ushered onto the tarmac.
A comparable event took place on New Year’s Eve in 2025, when air travellers were evacuated from the airport due to a reported “potential threat.” Authorities later confirmed that the threat was not credible, The Independent reported.
According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the airport ranked as the 44th busiest in the U.S. in 2022, handling 4.7 million passengers that year.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Mausam Jha is a journalist who focuses on world affairs and politics. She provides clear, informative reporting with a good understanding of both global events and their local impact. <br><br> Her clear, accessible reporting on political and international issues makes her a trusted source of news and analysis. <br><br> For the past three years, Mausam has worked with Mint, covering national politics, IR—including elections—and global affairs.<br> Before joining her current role, she gained experience working with The Statesman, ANI, and Financial Express, where she honed her skills in political and international news. <br><br> She has consistently tracked key electoral battles, including US elections, Japan elections, policy debates, and strategic affairs, explaining how global currents, from great power competition to regional conflicts <br><br> Beyond journalism, Mausam has a deep engagement with international relations, diplomacy, war studies, terrorism, political history, and political theory. She is particularly interested in the intersection of statecraft and society on how governance, ideology, and institutions shape lived realities, and how politics shape today's world order. <br><br> An avid reader of classical literature and political thought, she constantly explores the connections between historical ideas and contemporary policy challenges.