The first of four major art projects for the new single terminal airport at KCI have been revealed.
More than 1,000 artists from around the world submitted inquiries after Kansas City announced an international search for artists.
The city said the four works of art were chosen because they either reflected the wonder of travel or Kansas City history.
The budget for artwork at KCI’s new terminal is $5.65 million. Kansas City’s single-terminal airport is expected to open on budget and on time in early 2023.
“The fact that we’ve been through a pandemic over the last year and yet this project remains on time, on schedule, and on budget is a testament to the good work of the team,” said Justin Meyer with the KC Aviation Department.
You can see the renderings of the art projects in the gallery below.
Entitled "Molten Swing"
Entitled "The Air up There"
Entitled "Ornithology"
Entitled "Fountain of Resonance"
"Molten Swing" looks kind of like a mosaic dog or cat to me, it might look cool though but not sure what to make of it at this point.
"The Air up There" simply looks like some lights on the ceiling, again it might look better when you're actually there I hope.
"Ornithology" reminds me of those attacking creatures in the Pitch Black movie. You just knew one of the artwork they chose would have a WTF moment and this is it.
"Fountain of Resonance" I approve of this one. :-)
Originally Posted by srvy:
My wife is working part time as bartender-server with OHM. Ohm manages the leases in the new airport. So far it doesn't look so good for the bars and restaurants. She said the busiest area is the KC Market. I suppose a 5-dollar 2 oz bag of Doritos is a better price for the traveler than real food and drink. Many employees walked in the first few days. She worked at Martin City Brewing on the first opening night. They had about 30 minutes of being a little busy and twiddled their thumbs waiting. She has moved around since where the need arises. Boulevard Brewing has carried a little more traffic. I asked here what a drink costs at Martin City 17.00 bucks for an old-fashioned with house whiskey.
That airport isn't going to pay for itself your food in KC is going to go up in taxes. Ill just eat out in Liberty or Gladstone its just a hop skip and jump from my KCMO homestead.
JFC, do they have a duty free shop where you can buy an entire bottle for the cost of a couple drinks? :-) [Reply]
We have two kids, one that’s still a lap baby meaning we have to go through ticketing and we still don’t even arrive until 1.5 hours before our flights. No idea why any adults would ever need to arrive more than an hour prior.
But now I’m guessing people will actually start arriving sooner so they can plan to eat at the airport while they wait so the restaurants will see an increase in locals traveling out as well. [Reply]
If you don’t get there three hours early how are you supposed to really appreciate the local art?? I’m gonna need a bit to soak it all in the first time I fly out of there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bearcat:
It's insane anyone would get a suggestion of being there 3 hours before a flight, especially the first one out.... and I've always been the type to want to get there and be done with it, but will force myself to be "only" an hour early so I can get through security in 5 minutes and sit for most of that time.
Sucks there wasn't more info on how early security opens, yet if someone told me to show up at 1am for a 4am flight, I'd probably laugh at them. Not sure I've ever spent more than 10 or 15 minutes getting bags checked and getting through security at the old airport, and that's when lines are long.
I could maybe see the 3 hour recommendation at a major airport for an international flight, especially if you forgot to fill out the required travel forms. For the Dominican republic, we had to fill out an online survey which gave us a QR code they needed to scan at the luggage check-in area.
Back when I was traveling for my company a lot, I'd typically arrive an hour early, and if it was a 1-2 day trip, park in the terminal lot. If it was an extended trip, I'd park in economy and give myself a bit more time. I'd think most business travelers probably would still prefer the old layout. The convenience was hard to beat.
I feel like you might need a bit more time now, since they have it down to a single TSA checkpoint. It was hard to gauge how quickly the line would move during a typical day, since we were there so early. If you have a flight out of the B gates, just know that it's a good bit of distance from security. Nothing too crazy, but definitely further than the old setup. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Bearcat:
JFC, do they have a duty free shop where you can buy an entire bottle for the cost of a couple drinks? :-)
I don't know lol but just be forewarned that old-fashioned was at Martin City Brewing but I suspect it's the going rate at other locations. Many of the bars and restaurants are still waiting on menus to be printed since it opened almost a month early. The wait staff has no idea of the menu or beer styles yet. They are told to tell the customers to download an app for descriptions. Employee training was fast tracked so they could open earlier. The data collectors the servers carry were not yet there as they were still being programmed and didn't arrive till opening. These little things don't seem like much but it explains the big things like traffic flow. Hell I took my wife to her training on Monday before the opening. They were still hanging signs and striping at entrances and exits through bus and baggage lanes. I think they just jumped the gun and should have opened on the expected date. [Reply]
Oh yeah many of the new employees had to go through security checks fingerprinted and photographed to be badged. They are still waiting on the badges and cant roam freely inside the doors. They have to contact a security agent and the end caps outside the dropoff areas. They are then escorted through TSA and to their assigned workstations. If they need a restroom a security agent must be contacted they are escorted to then back to the work area. Lunch and breaks are the same until badged. [Reply]
I will say the one thing that shocked me was that the floor in front of the baggage check-in had a lot of scuffs already. Not sure if the floor buffers haven't arrived yet, or what. It was strange considering how new the airport is.
We also found quite a bit of trash on the floor at our gate. Seemed really odd for the first flight of the day. I'm guessing this may be related to opening early as srvy pointed out. [Reply]
Originally Posted by stanleychief:
I could maybe see the 3 hour recommendation at a major airport for an international flight, especially if you forgot to fill out the required travel forms. For the Dominican republic, we had to fill out an online survey which gave us a QR code they needed to scan at the luggage check-in area.
Back when I was traveling for my company a lot, I'd typically arrive an hour early, and if it was a 1-2 day trip, park in the terminal lot. If it was an extended trip, I'd park in economy and give myself a bit more time. I'd think most business travelers probably would still prefer the old layout. The convenience was hard to beat.
I feel like you might need a bit more time now, since they have it down to a single TSA checkpoint. It was hard to gauge how quickly the line would move during a typical day, since we were there so early. If you have a flight out of the B gates, just know that it's a good bit of distance from security. Nothing too crazy, but definitely further than the old setup.
Yeah, there are times I still back track all the shit to do and make myself paranoid at larger airports about getting to the parking shuttle, waiting on the shuttle, the shuttle getting to the airport, luggage, security, etc. And by the time I over estimate each of those things, I needed to be there an hour ago. :-)
One thing with the TSA lines will be how they figure out demand and how quickly they open lanes and so forth, since it's condensed into one as you said. I was at Sky Harbor last year on Labor Day weekend and it seemed like half of Phoenix was there, yet they were crazy efficient at getting everyone through security (with the same "all gates" setup). .. clearlly wasn't their first rodeo. But, it would be annoying to stand in line forever because they only have one xray going (or only one working?). [Reply]
Originally Posted by srvy:
I don't know lol but just be forewarned that old-fashioned was at Martin City Brewing but I suspect it's the going rate at other locations. Many of the bars and restaurants are still waiting on menus to be printed since it opened almost a month early. The wait staff has no idea of the menu or beer styles yet. They are told to tell the customers to download an app for descriptions. Employee training was fast tracked so they could open earlier. The data collectors the servers carry were not yet there as they were still being programmed and didn't arrive till opening. These little things don't seem like much but it explains the big things like traffic flow. Hell I took my wife to her training on Monday before the opening. They were still hanging signs and striping at entrances and exits through bus and baggage lanes. I think they just jumped the gun and should have opened on the expected date.
Originally Posted by stanleychief:
I will say the one thing that shocked me was that the floor in front of the baggage check-in had a lot of scuffs already. Not sure if the floor buffers haven't arrived yet, or what. It was strange considering how new the airport is.
We also found quite a bit of trash on the floor at our gate. Seemed really odd for the first flight of the day. I'm guessing this may be related to opening early as srvy pointed out.
Probably the trash receptacles haven't arrived or they do not have enough badged janitorial staff to roam freely with a dustpan and broom. [Reply]
Originally Posted by srvy:
Probably the trash receptacles haven't arrived or they do not have enough badged janitorial staff to roam freely with a dustpan and broom.
At least we were able to give the local news crew something to do for an entire day in February. [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
Southwest Airlines Announces International Expansion from Kansas City International Airport
March 9, 2023
Kansas City, Mo – Southwest Airlines announced that the carrier will increase their presence at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) with new routes and increased service. The carrier will launch new nonstop service to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay, Jamaica as well as Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) in San José del Cabo, Mexico. Additionally, Southwest will also expand their nonstop service to Cancun International Airport (CUN).
"Just days ago, Kansas City government delivered on our commitment to open the new airport terminal ahead of time and on-budget, with the expectation of more flights to more places for our region. We are proud to have worked with Southwest Airlines to expand domestic and international service out of Kansas City and expect more exciting new flight announcements ahead. Whether for business or pleasure, Kansas Citians are excited to travel to destinations like Cabo, Jamaica, and so many more. I am thrilled to see this announcement and thank Southwest for its continued investment in Kansas City—a city on a roll,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas.
“We are grateful for Southwest’s continued growth in Kansas City and for easier access to some of our most requested leisure destinations,” said Pat Klein, Director of Kansas City’s Aviation Department. “Travelers will love the convenience of clearing customs at their home airport.”
Effective October 7, 2023, Southwest will offer seasonal service on Saturdays between:
Kansas City, Mo. and Montego Bay, Jamaica*
MCI-MBJ departs 9:55am and arrives 1:55pm
MBJ-MCI departs 12:00pm and arrived 4:20pm
Kansas City, Mo. and Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos, Mexico*
MCI-SJD departs 10:40am and arrives 12:10pm
SJD-MCI departs 11:35pm and arrived 5:25pm
*Subject to government approval
Both new routes complement the carrier’s existing service between Kansas City and Cancun, Mexico which seasonally adjusts to daily service beginning October 5, 2023.
Wildest flight I've ever been on was the SW direct from Midway to Montego Bay. There were people shoving trash bags full of old computer equipment into the overheads. Shit like old keyboards or HDMI cords, literally anything that would never fit neatly into an overhead bin. There was a Mardi Gras parade of people in wheelchairs boarding before our group. A near tussle in the aisle trying to get everyone situated just to pull away from the gate.
SW was breaking in a new attendant who looked terrified. Grizzled ol vet attendant working next to her was like we do this once a week and its like this every time.
Cool that SW is flying more direct though, that seems like one of the expected benefits coming to fruition. [Reply]
