The 41 Files

In the final episode of Now Boarding, KSHB 41's Taylor Hemness talks with Susie McKenzie, a 35-year flight attendant with American Airlines.

Back in 2017, she voted against building the new terminal at KCI, because she was concerned that it would mean losing the convenience that she valued so much at the old terminals.

Today, she's a big fan of the terminal. During this conversation, Taylor talks with her about passenger conduct, what a terminal really means to a flight attendant, and the state of airline travel today.

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It's kind of like moving into a new house.

That's how Mike Ward described the process of moving from the old terminals at KCI, to the new terminal in 2023. 

Ward is the Assistant Manager of Operations at KCI for Southwest Airlines. In this episode, he describes working conditions at the old terminals, what it was like to practice his team's jobs before the new terminal opened, that crazy all-nighter employees pulled when the terminal switch happened, and the "trashy" lessons he's learned in the first year.

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Were you lucky enough to fly out of Kansas City during the extreme cold weather we experienced in mid-January? Hopefully, that flight took you to someplace much warmer!

But there were multiple days in January that had travelers very concerned about whether or not their flight would go on as scheduled. January presented the first real test for the new terminal at KCI in terms of severe winter weather.

This month, KC Aviation Director Melissa Cooper chats with KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness about exactly how an airport deals with round after round of ice and snow.

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Kansas City got very familiar with a company called Edgemoor during the construction of the new terminal at KCI.

People from all over the KC area attended meetings the company hosted about the terminal's design, and now those people are getting to see which suggestions actually made the cut.

KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness chats with Edgemoor Senior Managing Director Geoff Stricker about how the billion-dollar project compares to others he's done, and what it's like trying to make hundreds of thousands of travelers happy.

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Did you know the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss was written in 1957?

Today, the book, the animated films, even the live action film are big parts of the Christmas season for people all over the world. 

This year, the official sequel to the book, titled "How the Grinch Lost Christmas," is on store shelves just in time for Christmas.

The author writing for Dr. Seuss is a man named Alastair Heim, and he's lived here in Kansas City for more than 20 years.

Here, you get a special chance to hear his conversation with KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness. They talk about the book, how he got it, his history with Dr. Seuss, and what it's like to write in that trademark style.

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The new terminal at KCI cost more than a billion dollars to build. That's hard for any traveler to put into perspective.

But for the companies chosen to be involved in its construction, that represents man hours, and of course, potentially career-changing money.

In this episode, I spoke to Mary McNamara, the President of Cornell Roofing in Independence. We talked about a job that she calls "transformational" for her company, and all the challenges that come along with it. 

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How long does it take you to get to KCI?

My guest this week, Kim Kluge, lives about 12 minutes away. It's a big advantage when you travel a lot for work, like she does.

So what does the new terminal mean for the neighborhoods around KCI, not just right now, but in the future?

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Kansas City International Airport is located within District 1 of the city's council districts, represented by Kevin O'Neill and Nathan Willett.

In this episode, KSHB 41 news anchor Taylor Hemness wanted to get the perspective of what it's like to represent a district that has always included the airport, but now has such a massive potential impact with the construction of the terminal.

Councilman Kevin O'Neill talks history, the chances for future development, and what it's like to have his name on a plaque inside the city's very expensive "front door."

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Kansas City residents know that the years-long process to build a new terminal at KCI had more than its fair share of controversies. 

Beyond the question of whether or not the city needed a new single terminal were the opinions on what it should look like, how it would showcase/represent KC, and if it would maintain the convenience of the city's older terminals.

In this episode, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness chats with architects from SOM, the firm tasked with answering those questions in the design of the new terminal. 

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How often do you fly, for work or personal reasons?

For many Kansas Citians, air travel is a huge part of their regular lives. So the new single terminal at KCI is almost like your office being moved to a whole new building.

In Episode 4 of Now Boarding, KSHB 41 anchor Taylor Hemness chats with Kevin White, who flies about three weeks out of every month, about what he's seen in the new terminal, 

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