Kansas City, Missouri – A new economic report finds that Kansas City International Airport is now one of the region’s greatest economic engines, bringing in more than $6 billion in total economic production and maintaining tens of thousands of employment in Missouri and Kansas. The results show that growth at the airport has sped up after the launch of its new single-terminal building in 2023.
The Kansas City Aviation Department paid for the study as part of its long-term master planning process. It looked at airport operations, linked sectors, and how much visitors spent in 2024. The research says that MCI had a total economic output of $6.3 billion, which directly or indirectly supported almost 40,000 jobs. The total payroll for such jobs in the area is around $1.8 billion.
A lot of that influence was attributed to passenger traffic. MCI had its busiest year ever in 2024, with more than 12.1 million travelers coming and going through the airport. More people traveling meant more money spent on hotels, restaurants, transportation, and other services related to tourism and airport operations.
The airport’s economic imprint also brought in a lot of money for the public. The analysis says that MCI brought in $276 million in state and local taxes for Missouri and Kansas. Sales taxes brought in $102 million, personal and corporate income taxes brought in $86 million, and property taxes brought in $77 million.
The latest results suggest that economic output has gone up by 25%, from $5.02 billion to $6.3 billion. This is based on a comparable study done in 2014. Unison Consulting used the same process to write both reports, which makes it easy to compare them over time.
City officials say the results are what they expected when the new facility opened. Officials say that the airport’s performance shows how Kansas City is becoming more important for business, tourism, and worldwide connectivity. The airport is a critical gateway for the region’s continued expansion.
The Aviation Department additionally examined at Kansas City Downtown Airport – Wheeler Field, which had an economic impact of more than $625 million in 2023.
