Hundreds of travelers fled Kansas City International Airport Sunday afternoon amid an unspecified threat which grounded flights and caused major travel disruptions in the area.
The incident was reported around 11:50 a.m local time at the airport in Missouri. Unverified reports suggested a potential bomb threat.
Droves of passengers were seen exiting the terminal with luggage in tow, while others idled on the tarmac staring at their phones. Both inbound and outbound flights were grounded, and a section of the interstate near the airport was closed.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying ‘immediately evacuate,’ people got up fast and rushed out of there,” one traveler told KAKE News.
Following a search of the building by law enforcement, the threat was deemed not credible and people were allowed to return to the terminal. At around 3 p.m., a department spokesperson told The Independent that “the evacuation is over” and that “the terminal has since reopened.”
“The threat was reviewed and determined not to be credible,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X at 4 p.m. “Threats like these are a federal crime. FBI and law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible.”
The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for further information from The Independent.
Shortly after 3 p.m., Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the “security incident” is “now clear and normal operations are resuming.” He expressed gratitude to the FBI and other law enforcement personnel “for their timely response.”
On Sunday evening, a spokesperson for the aviation department provided more details about the reported threat in a statement to The Independent.
The department “received a call of a potential device” in the airport and parking garage on Sunday morning, leading to the evacuation order, the spokesperson said. After extensive searches, including with bomb and arson units, it was determined there was no credible threat.
The sudden evacuation led to major travel interruptions in the area. A heavy police presence was seen outside the airport.
Both inbound and outbound flights were grounded, while traffic was shifted away from the Missouri airport, according to KAKE News. Southwest Airlines confirmed that several flights headed for Kansas City were diverted on Sunday.
Tensions are currently heightened at international airports as the U.S. conflict with Iran escalates.
Since the U.S. and Israel launched their joint attack in late February, several airports in the Middle East have sustained damage as a result of Iranian drone strikes — including in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
A counterterrorism expert cautioned earlier this week that Americans should remain vigilant in airports and other crowded areas.
Sunday’s evacuation comes less than one month after officials abruptly shut down the airspace over El Paso International Airport. The travel ban, which was reversed in a matter of hours, stemmed from border officials firing a high-energy laser at what they believed to be a cartel drone, but it turned out to be a balloon, according to reports.
It’s the second evacuation from the Kansas airport in the past three months. On New Year’s Eve, travelers were instructed to leave the airport as a result of a “potential threat,” but law enforcement ultimately determined it was not credible. The Kansas City airport is the 44th busiest in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, servicing 4.7 million passengers that year.
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