Federal agents and local police descended on Kansas City International (KCI) Airport Sunday after a reported bomb threat forced thousands of travelers out of the terminal and onto the tarmac.
Airport spokesperson Jackson Overstreet told the Associated Press that officials first received word of the threat at 11:15 a.m. local time. The entire terminal was cleared shortly after, and aircraft that had already touched down waited on the taxiway.
FBI spokesperson Dixon Land confirmed the bureau’s presence in a statement to the AP. “The FBI is aware of the incident, and our personnel are working with airport and law enforcement officials to determine the credibility of the threat,” Land said. (RELATED: Man Charged With Threatening To Bomb JD Vance At Theme Park)
A Kansas City Aviation Department spokesperson provided further details to The U.S. Sun, telling the outlet that the agency was coordinating with law enforcement to determine whether a bomb threat was credible. That statement represented the first official use of the term by airport authorities.
🚨The security incident at @Fly_KansasCity is now clear and normal operations are resuming 🚨
I want to thank law enforcement including the @FBI for their timely response.
The safety of passengers, airport staff, and crew members is always our number one priority @FAANews https://t.co/G4nIzTRqrP
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) March 8, 2026
KCTV5, the local CBS affiliate, reported that authorities shut down highway exits leading to the airport and grounded all flights. Around 12:05 p.m., security personnel directed passengers to gather between Terminal A and Terminal B.
Passenger Logan Hawley, 29, told the AP he had been preparing to board a flight to Texas when officers and K-9 units flooded the terminal. “Suddenly, there was an airport worker saying, ‘immediately evacuate,’ people got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said. Hawley estimated that roughly 2,000 people were moved onto the tarmac.
Travelers were allowed back inside just before 1:45 p.m., more than two hours after the evacuation began, FOX4 Kansas City reported. FlightAware data cited by the station showed 127 delays and two cancellations tied to the incident. The first plane departed before 2:20 p.m. Southwest Airlines told the station that four of its Kansas City-bound flights had been diverted, according to KSHB 41.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the situation on X, stating that KCI was “clear and normal operations are resuming.” Duffy credited law enforcement and the FBI for their response. “The safety of passengers, airport staff, and crew members is always our number one priority,” Duffy said.
Sunday’s evacuation marked the second bomb threat at KCI in recent months. A similar incident on Dec. 31, 2025, also ended with authorities finding no credible danger, KSHB 41 reported.