Mayor Bob McDavid says he now has secured $3 million in pledges to attract a new airline to the Columbia Regional Airport. Roughly half of the money comes from the city. The rest is from private business interests, the Boone County Commission and MU.
McDavid says the new destinations will be big boost for businesses in Columbia, but also for people connected to the University of Missouri
“The University of Missouri is making substantial inroads into recruiting international and out of state students, and we just need to find and easy way for those students and their families, to get into Columbia," McDavid says.
The pledges will be a public backstop to cover any losses that a private carrier might incur should it begin servicing Columbia, the Columbia Tribune reports.
McDavid mentions Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas as realistic options of new flight destinations..
