Columbia Regional Airport advisory board discusses closure of control tower

The City of Columbia says they still have several options to try and keep the regional airport control tower open.

On Wednesday, the airport advisory board discussed some of the possibilities even though they are moving forward with the assumption that the tower will close May 5.

“We could still opt for cost sharing, [Federal Aviation Administration] money or if the City of Columbia could fund that,” said board member Greg Cecil.

The board also discussed whether or not to join a lawsuit by other airports. However, Columbia Regional Airport is currently not a part of the legal action.

Jefferson City Memorial Airport’s control tower will remain open because it is already a part of the cost sharing program.

Last month, the FAA named 179 airport control towers that would have to close due to mandatory budget cuts.