Kansas City airport retains MCI code due to historical reasons

Kansas City International Airport, known by its code MCI, serves as a major travel hub for the Kansas City metropolitan area, which spans parts of Kansas and Missouri. Despite not being a hub for any major airline, it is serviced by all large US carriers. The airport's code has been a source of confusion due to its similarity to Orlando International Airport's code, MCO.

The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) assigns these codes, which are used globally by pilots and airlines to identify airports. Kansas City's airport code originates from its former name, Mid-Continent International Airport. This naming was influenced by Mid-Continent Airlines, a now-defunct carrier that operated in the region.

Changing an IATA code is complex and requires significant planning among airports, airlines, and regulators. Currently, KCI is assigned to Koolan Island Airport in Australia, making it challenging for Kansas City to adopt this more intuitive code. Similarly, KCY is used by Krasnoyarsk Cheremshanka Airport in Russia.