KANSAS CITY — Operations at Kansas City International Airport returned to normal Sunday afternoon following a temporary closure that lasted approximately three hours while federal authorities investigated a security concern, according to the Kansas City Aviation Department.
Jackson Overstreet, a spokesperson for the airport, confirmed via email just after 2 p.m. that the terminal had been cleared for reopening. The facility was shut down around 11 a.m. when officials received word of the potential threat. Aircraft that arrived during the closure were required to remain on taxiways until the all-clear was given.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media Sunday afternoon that federal investigators had examined the threat and concluded it was “not to be credible.”
Traveler Logan Hawley, 29, described the chaotic scene as he prepared to depart for Texas. He observed numerous law enforcement officers and police dogs flooding the terminal area before the evacuation order came.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying, ‘Immediately evacuate.’ People got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said.
According to Hawley’s account, approximately 2,000 passengers and visitors were directed outside onto the airport’s tarmac area during the security sweep.
