Officials invite the public to help top off Columbia Airport’s new terminal

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Officials invited the public to have their names written inside the new Columbia Regional Airport terminal.

Attendees signed their names on the beam, which was used in a topping-off celebration as the last beam placed in the airport terminal construction project.

The total cost for the new terminal at Columbia Regional will be up to $35 million. The project is on schedule to be completed in late summer of 2022 and is staying on budget.

Columbia voters in August 2016 approved a 1 percent hotel tax increase to fund the improvements and renovations at the airport.

Airport Manager Mark Parks for Columbia Regional Airport says, "There is several different accommodations of funds that are being used for the terminal, the first package for the terminal is actually going to be $23 million dollars which includes several of those funding mechanisms."

Travelers of Columbia Regional say the service out of the airport has not been reliable.

"I think having the new terminal will encourage flights to come to Columbia and to be more consistent and reliable," Lisa Lorenzen said.

Officials hope the new terminal will bring business opportunities and improve the image of Columbia and Mid-Missouri.

"For a restaurant in the terminal, that restaurant will serve both the secure side after you go through screening, also the public side if you want to come out to the airport to have a meal," Parks said.

Mark Parks says this new terminal will have an impact on Mid-Missouri.

"It represents all of us, it will show a positive image when people arrive here in Columbia," Parks says.

The airport has expanded its flights in recent years in part through publicly and privately funded revenue guarantees, but United Airlines will have their last flight out of Columbia on January 3rd of 2022.

The airport plans to speak to other airlines about opportunities to fly into Columbia.