On Tuesday, Kansas City’s new terminal spanning 1.1 million square feet finally replaced the antiquated terminal design. Southwest Airlines was the first to operate out of the long-awaited update to the face of MCI with a flight to Chicago Midway.

Construction of the new terminal began back in March 2019. The terminal has 40 gates with room for up to 50 should any expansion be needed in the future. With 6,200 square feet and plenty of room for parking and any services such as Uber and/or Lyft, the upgrade in convenience and accessibility is stark. Inside the terminal, passengers can indulge in various amenities in addition to visually appealing art, some of which are from Kansas City locals. Dining options include seafood, BBQ, as well as some local favorites with almost 50 outlets available to travelers.

In addition to the notion of being spoilt for choice come premium lounges, the implementation of 16 lanes at security with TSA PreCheck and CLEAR offered, as well as the option of all-gender restrooms. These updates to a 50-year-old design have been long anticipated and were in the works for nearly five years. Edgemoor Infrastructure spearheaded the project with senior managing director Geoffrey Stricker commenting that it was a "historic day for Kansas City."

Southwest was the first airline to operate out of the new terminal to Chicago Midway at approximately 5:00 a.m. operated quite aptly by the airline's Missouri One livery, with another Southwest arrival not too long after, also from Chicago.

New flights will also be launched in addition to the opening of the terminal. Sun Country will launch its own flights and Air Canada will once again resume service to the airport. Southwest will be adding routes to Indianapolis and Albuquerque.