USDOT awards $1 million grant to bring back Denver flights to Columbia Regional Airport

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia will receive a $1 million grant from the US Department of Transportation in order to bring back flights to-and-from Denver at Columbia Regional Airport.

The city is receiving the grant through the Small Community Air Service Development Program. Flights to Denver from Columbia ended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is also contributing money to the project, documents say.

Documents describing the grant say, “The community states that it lost its previous Denver service during the COVID-19 pandemic and that it faces a continuing deficit in flight operations compared to 2019. The community states that restoration of its Denver service will address these concerns. It has established a strong public-private partnership that is providing significant local cash, and the State of Missouri is also contributing funds to the project. United Airlines has provided a letter of support for the project.”

Previous reporting indicates that officials wanted to get Denver flights back up and running as far back as 2021.