Columbia Interim City Manager explains airline safety concerns at COU
Columbia Interim City Manager John Glascock released a statement Sunday afternoon reguarding some airlines canceling flights at Columbia Regional Airport.
Glascock apologized for the sudden cancellations and said the airport manager, economic development director, consulting engineering firm and others have been working to understand the airlines’ concerns and resume service at COU as soon as possible.
“They have indicated that they are concerned about the “crown” on runway 2-20 where it intersects runway 13-31,” he said. “This crown can cause the feeling of hitting a bump during takeoff/landing.”
The crown helps to drain water off the runway and is a required by the Federal Aviation Administration, Glascock said.
COU officials announced Saturday night that several airline carriers have suspended flights to and from Columbia.
United Airlines regional carrier SkyWest and American Airlines carriers Mesa Airlines and Envoy Air temporarily halted flights.
American Airlines spokesperson Andrea Koos said the airline is canceling all flights Sunday and Monday at COU.
“We do have some concerns about the runway conditions but the airport can elaborate further,” she said. “We will be reevaulating the situation on Monday.”
Air Wisconsin, which regionally operates United Airlines, is flying as scheduled. ABC 17 News has asked Air Wisconsin if it’s considering canceling flights at COU and is waiting to hear back.
According to a press release, the main runway 2-20 closed for maintenance April 1. The newly renovated runway in question,13-31, is serving as the main runway in the interim. Officials said 13-31 has been declared safe despite the concerns.
Glascock said 13-31 was completely rebuilt in anticipation for the main runway, 2-20, maintenance project in 2019.
“We consulted many times with our partners, including the airlines, to inquire about any concerns,” he said. “At the time, none mentioned the crown in the main runway as being an issue
He said he personally inspected the runway, discussed resolutions with engineers and has given his professional suggestions as a civil engineer to remove or reduce the crown.
“We will discuss those options with the airlines and the FAA on Monday morning,” Glascock said.
COU is still open and operational. Find the latest flight schedules and statuses, here.
If you need to get information about your flight, you can call United Airlines at 800-864-8331 and American Airlines at 800-433-7300.
