Kansas City International Airport's terminal reopened Sunday afternoon hours after authorities evacuated portions of the facility due to a potential security threat.

The incident began around 11:15 a.m. local time when a threat surfaced, prompting the evacuation of approximately 2,000 travelers from the terminal to the tarmac. Airport police worked with the FBI and other law enforcement, including K-9 units and the Kansas City Police Department's Bomb and Arson Unit, to investigate.

A suspicious vehicle on the top floor of the parking garage drew particular attention during the sweep. Inbound flights were held on the taxiway away from gates, and several were diverted, including four Southwest Airlines flights that landed in Denver, St. Louis, and Wichita. Traffic on nearby Interstate 29 was also affected, with the northbound exit to the airport temporarily closed.

The Kansas City Aviation Department confirmed the terminal reopened shortly after 2 p.m. following sweeps that found no credible threat. The parking garage remained closed longer for further checks and fully reopened around 6 p.m.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that the threat had been reviewed and deemed not credible. "Threats like these are a federal crime. FBI and law enforcement partners will fully investigate and bring to justice anyone responsible," he wrote. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also commented on X, thanking law enforcement for their timely response and noting that normal operations were resuming, with passenger safety as the top priority.

Airport spokesperson Jackson Overstreet stated that the shutdown lasted about two hours and that planes landing during the event were held until the all-clear. Passenger Logan Hawley, 29, who was waiting to board a flight to Texas, described airport workers urgently directing people to evacuate.

The Kansas City Aviation Department emphasized the importance of reporting suspicious activity. This incident echoes a similar evacuation at KCI on December 31, 2025, where authorities also found no credible threat after investigating an unsecured area.

Normal operations have since resumed at the airport, with the FBI continuing its probe into the origin of the threat.