Operations resumed at Kansas City International Airport on Sunday afternoon after authorities evacuated the terminal and investigated a potential security threat that was later determined to be non-credible.
According to the Kansas City Aviation Department, the airport terminal reopened shortly after 2 p.m. following an evacuation that began roughly three hours earlier. Flights that arrived during the shutdown were temporarily held on the taxiway while authorities assessed the situation.
Airport spokesperson Jackson Overstreet confirmed that the precautionary evacuation was triggered by a reported threat, prompting law enforcement to clear the terminal and conduct a security sweep.
Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, later said investigators reviewed the report and concluded that the threat was not credible.
Passengers inside the terminal described a sudden and urgent evacuation.
Logan Hawley, 29, said he was waiting to board a flight to Texas when he noticed a heavy law enforcement presence, including police officers and K9 units searching the building.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying, ‘Immediately evacuate.’ People got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said.
He estimated that roughly 2,000 passengers and airport staff were escorted out of the terminal and directed onto the tarmac while authorities secured the facility.
Airport officials said operations gradually resumed once the investigation concluded and passengers were allowed back into the terminal.
