Kansas City International Airport breaks outbound travel record Sunday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City International Airport broke its all-time outbound travel record Sunday, July 12.

Sunday saw 24,266 people screened through security. The previous record was 23,678 on May 18, 2025.

Throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the airport has seen multiple high-volume days, including eight days that surpassed 20,000 travelers screened.

Director of Aviation Melissa Cooper said the airport and its partners worked “tirelessly” to prepare in the months leading up to the global tournament.

“I could not be prouder of Aviation Department staff and our many partner agencies for the work they put in on Sunday and every high-volume day this summer,” Cooper said in a news release. “Our goal as an airport is to provide first class service and that is evident on days like Sunday.”

To help keep lines moving, screening gates were opened early on anticipated high-volume days. Additional staff also helped keep wait times between 2 1/2 minutes and 5 minutes, the airport said.

Some dining options opened early Sunday for travelers.

The all-time record was nearly broken in June when 23,494 passengers were screened the day after the first group stage match in KC — Argentina vs. Algeria.

Monday, July 13, was also expected to be a busy outbound travel day as fans in town for the quarterfinal, KC’s final World Cup match, head home.

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