Kansas City International Airport opened on November 11, 1972, replacing Kansas City Municipal Airport, which could no longer handle the demands of the jet age. Its roots go further back: site selection in Platte County was announced in 1953, driven largely by TWA's need for a new overhaul base after the Great Flood of 1951 destroyed its facilities at Fairfax Airport. When commercial service finally began, MCI introduced something the aviation world had not seen before, a drive-to-your-gate terminal layout, with 3 horseshoe-shaped terminals designed so passengers could park within steps of their boarding gate. The concept was pioneering. It was also almost immediately obsolete, as the FAA imposed mandatory passenger screening within weeks of opening day, rendering the open, decentralized layout a security headache that would dog the airport for decades.

Located 15 miles northwest of downtown Kansas City in Platte County, Missouri, MCI serves the broader Kansas City metropolitan area and functions as the primary airport for much of western Missouri and eastern Kansas. It is not a hub in the traditional network sense. No single carrier bases its operations there. Southwest Airlines dominates, accounting for roughly half of all enplanements. American, Delta, and United also serve the airport, connecting Kansas City to major hubs across the country.

The airport's most significant transformation came in February 2023, when a new $1.5 billion single terminal designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill opened, replacing the original 3-terminal layout. At just over 1 million square feet with 40 gates, it was the largest infrastructure project in Kansas City's history. The airport set a passenger record in 2024, handling 12,126,500 travelers, its busiest year ever.