KCI looking for volunteers to test new terminal
Dec. 4—If you're wanting a sneak peek inside the new terminal at KCI before it opens, you may be in luck.
As the opening date nears for the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport, the staff is looking for volunteers to test the facility before it opens.
Participants are being sought to spend a couple of hours of a morning in February for a one-day simulation event. With a commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Justin Meyer, deputy director of Aviation at KCI, said airport officials are looking for a wide variety of volunteers.
"We want to make sure that there's diversity and representation in that group in terms of age and mobility and air travel experience," Meyer said. "We want to make sure that we have good representation across lots of different areas of ability and experience when it comes to travel."
BuildKCI also is asking for people to apply from a variety of locations, not just Kansas City, to test the new terminal. With St. Joseph being just a short drive up the interstate, Meyer said residents would be ideal candidates to test out the new terminal.
"This is an airport that serves a four-state region and it's important to us that we're testing the facility with the users of the facility and future users of the facility," Meyer said.
Meyer said participants will be given an outbound and an inbound travel itinerary, asking them to perform tasks similar to that of typical travelers arriving and departing from KCI. These tasks can include checking a bag, finding an accessible restroom and getting to a departure gate on time.
After the simulation is complete, participants will evaluate the airport's operational readiness and fill out a survey about their experience. Meyer said the hope is to see if the commitment to accessibility and inclusivity has been achieved and how effective the new signage is for travelers.
"There's a lot of inherent experience that people have had with the terminals that we've been in for the last 50 years, and so this one is going to be completely different and no one is going to necessarily know without help where the gates are or where restrooms are or other things like that," Meyer said. "So we're certainly prepared to hear feedback regarding opportunities to adjust or improve items like signage and wayfinding."
Meyer said the airport has received a large amount of interest for the simulation and warns not everyone who applies will be selected to participate. This is an unpaid position, as all participants will be on a volunteer basis.
To apply to take part in the simulation, go to surveymonkey.com/r/newterminal. Meyer said the application page likely will close early this week. Those selected will be notified closer to the February date, which is to be determined, via email or mobile phone. More information about the new terminal can be found at buildkci.com.
Morgan Doyle can be reached at morgan.doyle@newspressnow.com
