KCI advisory board ready to fly alone

A rendering of the new single airport terminal being discussed for KCI.

The mayor’s KCI advisory group finished “airport school” Tuesday and will gather its own input.

The 24 members will divide into subcommittees at its next meeting and prepare to gather data and question key players, Co-Chair David Fowler said.

They will hire a consultant, create an interactive web site, talk to stakeholders and citizens and examine how other cities handle airports, he said.

Key findings from months of KCI airport school include a recent report from city aviation officials that found repairs to the 41-year-old airport could cost almost as much as replacing it.

It would require from $645-to-$785 million to repair KCI’s three terminals – and they might still face problems – or from $960 million to $1.2 billion to build a new and far more efficient airport, city officials said.

The advisory group will verify those numbers, Fowler said, and will talk to stakeholders that include the airlines, area city officials, business and environmental leaders.

Five subcommittees will focus on key issues: affordability, convenience/adaptability, business creation, security and environmental performance.

Meetings are scheduled to last through March but the first phase it over, Fowler said.

“Congratulations on graduating from airport school.”

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