The Kansas City Chiefs are Denver-bound for Sunday’s game against the Broncos after a multi-hour delay at Kansas City International Airport due to icy conditions Saturday.
The team’s flight departed around 5:20 p.m. CT, a team source confirmed. They spent about four hours on the tarmac before departing, according to multiple reports.
KCI Airport announced at 2:50 p.m. that it closed flight operations due to “rapid ice accumulation,” but city manager Brian David Platt posted on X that the runways would be reopening and resuming operations around 5 p.m.
The Chiefs’ chartered jet was the first flight out of the airport once operations resumed, per the source.
Update: Crews have successfully treated airfield surfaces and the runways and taxiways at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) are open for flight operations. Work will continue overnight to keep the airfield clear. @Fly_KansasCity
— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) January 4, 2025
Kansas City is 15-1 and has already clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the postseason. The Broncos, however, are 9-7 and would clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday. The game is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.
Chiefs backup quarterback Carson Wentz is expected to start on Sunday with coach Andy Reid saying this week that he plans to rest Patrick Mahomes. The team is also expected to rest other key players — tight end Travis Kelce, pass rusher Chris Jones, cornerback Trent McDuffie, left tackle Joe Thuney and running backs Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt.
Required reading
(Photo: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
