The Columbia Regional Airport was notified yesterday that it would be eligible for up to $18.7 million in funding under the CARES Act.
The city applied for and received a grant to fund the operating cost of the airport for up to four years, totaling at $8 million. Under the CARES Act, the city must pay all costs upfront and be reimbursed at a later time. The total amount of funding an airport is eligible for is determined by a formula provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
City Spokesperson Steven Sapp said the city will be applying for an additional $10.7 million, but it isn’t clear yet what this money would be used for.
“We're still in contact and discussion with the FAA as to exactly what that means and what we can apply for,” Sapp said. “We believe that we could apply for things such as buildings or other infrastructure.”
Sapp said the FAA has been very supportive of the Columbia Regional Airport, noting that the FAA has also agreed to pay for next year’s runway expansion completely, which will free up $1.2 million in the airport’s budget to be used as the city sees fit.
“Columbia Regional Airport’s been going through a lot of growth and the FAA has been very accommodating to a lot of projects over the past several years,” Sapp said.“And so, the amount of infrastructure support that we’re receiving from the FAA was probably atypically high.”
Sapp said the FAA is helping to guide the city through the subsequent application process. The level of funding at Columbia Regional Airport is significantly higher than most airports in the state. Under the CARES Act, Saint Louis International Airport is eligible for just under $60 million while Kansas City International Airport is eligible for over $43 million. However, most airports in the state will receive under $100,000, with some receiving as little as $20,000.