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Roughly 2,000 passengers at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) were evacuated from sections of the terminal on Sunday due to a potential threat. Airport authorities worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to determine whether the threat was credible.
Delays began to pile up as all inbound and outbound flights were grounded as a precaution. The incident comes less than three months after MCI dealt with a similar security threat, prompting travelers to evacuate.
Undetermined Security Threat
MCI spokesperson Jackson Overstreet confirmed at around 2:00 PM local time that the terminal was operational again, according to the Associated Press (AP). The evacuation began around 11:00 AM, prompting flights that had landed at the airport to be held on the taxiway.
Officials confirmed on social media that the Kansas City Aviation Department was “aware of a situation,” and that police were working with the FBI to “substantiate any potential threat.” An FBI spokesperson later confirmed the collaboration.
The nature of the threat has not yet been determined by authorities, however, there is speculation that the terminal was evacuated due to reports of a bomb threat. Airport police allegedly used bomb-sniffing dogs to search the concourses and terminals. Logan Hawley, a passenger who spoke with the AP said that he noticed multiple police officers and K9 units inside the terminal, and that around 2,000 people were evacuated.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying, ‘Immediately evacuate,’” he explained to the AP. “People got up fast and rushed out of there.”
Flights Grounded, Diverted, & Delayed
At around 2:15 PM, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the security incident had cleared and “normal operations” had resumed. Duffy also thanked law enforcement and the FBI for “their timely response.” FBI Director Kash Patel said that the threat had been reviewed and that the terminal had been “swept and cleared.”
Video from one passenger shows several passengers outside of the terminal on the tarmac. Some inbound flights were rerouted to other airports. 
Southwest Airlines, the largest operators at MCI, confirmed that four flights were diverted, according to Kansas City NBC affiliate KSHB.
Global flight tracking website FlightAware reported a total of 146 delays as of 3:00 PM local time. Southwest appeared to be impacted the most with 76 delays, while 
Delta Air Lines was the second-most affected with 16 delays. 
American Airlines had 13 delayed flights. Only two flights at the airport had been canceled, however it is unclear whether the cancelations were related to the security threat.
Multiple Security Incidents In The Last Few Months
It is not the first time MCI has dealt with a security threat prompting an evacuation. On December 31, 2025, a New Year’s Eve scare affected passengers in the same terminal. A potential threat first triggered a lockdown before the terminal was evacuated at around 11:00 AM. Airport officials later confirmed that a bomb was suspected to be in a bathroom near baggage claim, however law enforcement determined no credible threat. MCI was among three other airports in the US that experienced threats on the holiday. Airports in Ohio, South Dakota, and Virginia reportedly received email threats.
Sunday’s threat comes just two days after a Southwest flight, bound for Fort Lauderdale, was forced to divert to Atlanta due to a possible threat. Passengers onboard endured tense moments as the SWAT Team boarded the aircraft. Although a bomb threat was speculated by some passengers, no threat was found. One passenger was removed from the aircraft, but the exact details of what they might have done to trigger the threat are unclear. Additionally, authorities have not confirmed whether any suspicious or dangerous items were recovered on the aircraft. The current status of the detained passenger and whether they will face charges is unknown. Southwest subsequently accommodated the remaining passengers on another aircraft to continue the flight to Fort Lauderdale.
“Threats like these are a federal crime,” Patel explained. “FBI and law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible.”
