Kansas City Thanksgiving travelers should plan on arriving early at the airport

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Travelers who plan on flying out of Kansas City for Thanksgiving should plan on arriving at the airport at least two hours before their flight departs. The Kansas City International Airport (KCI) expects crowded and busier security checkpoints. There are more travelers flying out this year compared to one year ago.

The Transportation Security Administration earlier this month said that it expects to screen about 20 million passengers during the Thanksgiving travel period, which started Friday and runs through Sunday.

Travelers are expected to wear a mask inside the terminals, on buses, and on aircraft. They also need to make sure any carry-on items comply with guidelines. KCI expects the airport to be 40% busier this year compared to 2020.

The busiest days are expected to be Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, according to Justin Meyer, deputy director of aviation for the Kansas City Aviation Department.

Since KCI expects a lot more travelers, they are advised to arrive two hours early if you are flying domestically, or two and one-half hours earlier for international flights.

If you haven't been to KCI in a while, there have been changes at the airport due to construction. There are "new roadway patterns to and from the terminals that include roundabouts." Travelers will need to make sure they follow signs.

According to AAA, 2021 will be the highest year increase of travelers since 2005 with an expectation of more than 53.4 million travelers. Air travel is expected to have an 80% increase since 2020. For fully vaccinated travelers, there will be an increase in international travel as well.

With the increase of travelers by road or flying, plan on being patient.

Sources: AAA; KansasCity.com