The Kansas City International Airport reopened for travel Sunday following a brief evacuation due to a potential threat.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that the threat was “determined to not be credible” and that normal operations at the airport had resumed.
“Threats like these are a federal crime,” he added. “FBI and law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible.”
An update on the earlier threat at Kansas City International Airport:@FBI and our law enforcement partners quickly responded to the scene and secured the area. The threat was reviewed and determined not to be credible. Terminal has been swept, cleared, and normal operations…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) March 8, 2026
Hours earlier, a spokesperson with the Kansas City Aviation Department said they were notified of “a situation” at the airport around 11:15 a.m. local time. As a precaution, travelers were evacuated onto the tarmac while authorities, including the FBI, investigated.
Jonathan Stein: Evacuation at KCI on March 8
Video courtesy Jonathan Stein.
Some travelers shared that their flights were stuck on the taxiway due to the incident, while others reported being diverted. Southwest Airlines confirmed four flights bound for Kansas City were diverted.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of its Customers and Employees,” a Southwest spokesperson said in a statement.
A similar incident unfolded on Dec. 31, 2025, when travelers were evacuated due to a “potential threat in the unsecured area” of the airport. Ultimately, law enforcement determined there was “no credible threat to the airport or those inside the terminal” in the New Year’s Eve incident.
Addi Weakley with the Scripps News Group in Kansas City contributed to this report.
