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Columbia Regional Airport Has Record First Quarter of 2017

Columbia Regional Airport logo
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KBIA

The number of passengers flying in and out of the Columbia Regional airport has significantly grown in the past year.

The airport stated in a press release Tuesday there has been a 24 percent increase in traffic in the first quarter of the year. Compared to first quarter of 2016, about 3,200 more passengers have flown through the airport. In total, more than 17,000 people traveled in and out of the airport in the first four months of the year.

“One of the factors is the increased capacity with larger aircrafts,” Columbia Regional Airport manager Mike Parks said. “The increase of enplanements and deplanements show the need for good air service at the airport.”

Parks also said the airport benefits both the community and the economy of Columbia.

“Columbia Regional Airport serves as a catalyst for economic development throughout mid-Missouri,” Columbia Economic Development Director Stacey Button said in a statement. An increase in traffic to the region only further boost the economic conditions of Columbia she said.

With the increased demand, United Airlines has added other large cities to the list of destinations. Chicago’s O’Hare International was added in February, and Denver International Airport is set to become available for travel in August.

“These destinations support all the local travelers here in Columbia and the surrounding communities,” Parks said.

Currently, reconstruction of the crosswind runway is scheduled to be completed in the summer. Other future improvements include expanding and repaving the main runaway, repairing the taxi way, as well as building a new terminal. The reconstruction of the main runway is projected to be finished by 2020, and there currently isn’t a deadline for the new terminal Parks said.