Columbia Regional Airport is among the fastest growing in the country and is on pace to double passenger traffic, Airport Director Mike Parks told the Columbia City Council during its regular meeting Monday.
The City Council unanimously approved an amendment to appropriate $750,000 of transportation sales tax funding for a contract with American Airlines to add a minimum of one flight per day from Columbia to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, starting in June.
Parks discussed revenue guarantees and increases in passenger capacity included in the contract. Parks said the city’s airport had just 100,000 passengers annually as recently as two years ago. Once American Airlines starts its service to Charlotte, Parks said the figure could rise to 200,000 passengers annually by the end of this year.
“This contract should be considered the beginning of a long-term advancement in air services for Missouri,” Parks said.
Mike Grellner, chair of Regional Economic Development Inc., a business and job development organization, said the American Airlines contract would bring many benefits to Columbia.
“It’s much more than just about a new flight that connects to Charlotte but rather its continued investment in a critical community asset,” Grellner said.
Randa Rawlins, member of the Airport Advisory Board, said community members and businesses she’s talked to are excited about the flights to Charlotte.
“It’s been something that our citizens have wanted for a long, long time,” Rawlins said.
The flights are set to begin June 4.
Along with the approved contract, the council discussed other upgrades to the airport, including improvements to the north parking lot, a new passenger boarding bridge, and the construction of a deicing pad and containment facility.
The council also discussed the proposed construction of an airport terminal production kitchen. The estimated $820,000 project costs would be paid for by the terminal project account.
The improvements to the north parking lot would repave 425 total spaces and add about 250 spaces.
If approved, construction would begin this spring.
A boarding bridge has also been included as a 2026 capital improvement project. The estimated $1.8 million project will be funded by the Federal Aviation Administration and the transportation tax.
The bridge installation and construction is estimated to take two years.
The deicing pad and containment facility would capture deicing fluids sprayed on planes during winter weather and would aim to keep those fluids from running into the stormwater system.
The estimated $4.7 million in costs for the deicing pad will be funded by the FAA and the transportation tax.
If approved, construction of the deicing pad would be complete some time between winter 2026 and spring 2027, according to a council memo.
The hearings for these improvements are set for April 6.
Other topics
The council voted to increase its pay stipends by a total of 9%, from $10,545 to $11,494 for the mayor and from $7,030 to $7,663 for council members.
These stipend increases will go into effect May 1, 2029, in accordance with a rule requiring changes in pay be delayed three years after approval to ensure current members do not give themselves raises during their current term.
The council voted in favor of an ordinance that would increase the formal bidding threshold for city staff to make certain purchases from $15,000 to $25,000. Additionally, cost thresholds for certain utility infrastructure projects would be increased.
Pre-council meeting
The council also discussed ongoing changes to short-term rental regulations in its pre-council meeting. After a two-hour deliberation, there is still little consensus.
The primary goal of the proposed amendments is to provide a direct path to licensure by reducing the overall complexity of applications, according to a presentation given in the pre-council meeting.
The current licensing program is built around a tier system. The tiers are based on how long the owner resides in the property and the zoning of the rental property.
License holders are also subject to certain taxes. Some are required to have business licenses and most require conditional use permits, based on their tier.
“Simplifying the (application) process is a significant objective of why we’re doing this,” Development Services Manager Patrick Zenner said in the pre-council meeting.
A total of 82 applications for short-term rental licenses have been granted of the 134 submitted. This is an increase in submissions since June 2025, where only 75 application were received, according to a Planning and Zoning Commission agenda report.
One of the proposed amendments would eliminate 30-night limitation licenses due to a lack of applicants for this tier of licensure. This change would make the 120-night licenses the lowest available.
Clinton Smith, community development director for the city, said that all amendments proposed are working to support the new tiers of licensure.
“This is really the meat and potatoes,” Smith said. “Any changes we make all revolve around really making this structure work.”
The council plans to schedule another work session to discuss these changes.
