A tense security scare forced thousands of travelers to evacuate a terminal at Kansas City International Airport on Sunday, triggering a massive law enforcement response and briefly halting flights at one of the Midwest’s busiest travel hubs.
Authorities say the airport received a threat shortly before noon, prompting an immediate evacuation of an entire terminal and a rapid deployment of police, federal agents and K-9 units.
The situation unfolded around 11:50 a.m. local time when airport officials were alerted to a potential threat. Within minutes, alarms were raised and travelers were ordered to leave the building.
Airport staff quickly began escorting passengers out of the terminal and onto the tarmac while law enforcement moved in to secure the area.
Roughly 2,000 travelers were evacuated during the incident, according to airport officials.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later confirmed the situation had been resolved and that flights were resuming.
“The security incident at Kansas City International Airport is now clear and normal operations are resuming,” Duffy wrote in a statement posted online. “I want to thank law enforcement including the FBI for their timely response. The safety of our passengers, airport staff and crew members is always our number one priority.”
The FBI confirmed agents were involved in the response and worked alongside local law enforcement to determine whether the threat was credible.
FBI spokesperson Dixon Land said the bureau quickly coordinated with authorities at the airport.
“The FBI is aware of the incident and worked with law enforcement officials to determine the credibility of a threat,” Land said.
For passengers inside the terminal, the moment was chaotic and confusing.
Logan Hawley, a 29-year-old traveler preparing to board a flight to Texas, said the evacuation happened with almost no warning.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying ‘immediately evacuate,’” Hawley recalled. “People got up fast and rushed out of there.”
Hawley said police officers and K-9 teams flooded the terminal as passengers were directed outside.
Many travelers were forced to stand on the tarmac while authorities swept the building.
Planes that landed after the threat was reported were temporarily held on taxiways while officials investigated the situation inside the terminal.
Videos shared online showed crowds of passengers being escorted out of the airport and gathered outside the building while law enforcement secured the scene.
Kansas City International Airport, located about 15 miles northwest of downtown Kansas City, serves millions of travelers every year and underwent a major terminal overhaul in recent years to modernize the facility.
Security incidents at major U.S. airports are rare but taken extremely seriously. Federal aviation authorities require immediate evacuation procedures when a credible threat is reported, even if it later proves to be a false alarm.
By mid-afternoon Sunday, airport officials said operations had fully resumed.
No injuries were reported, and investigators have not yet revealed what triggered the original threat.
Officials say the investigation remains ongoing.
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