If any of you have ever flown out of Columbia Regional Airport on American Airlines, you know that if the weather was bad, you had to deal with it when walking down the runway to board your waiting plane.  This has been the way for 54 years.

That will all be over with the installation of three passenger boarding bridges in the airport’s new terminal, which is scheduled to open in late September.

The City of Columbia has ponied up $23 million to triple the size of the airport and this new terminal will not only have the passenger bridges but also have 3 more boarding gates, there will be room for a 4th.  A restaurant will be there as well, and expect a larger waiting area.

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Like the bridges in most major airports, they extend from the terminal and connect to the airplane, allowing passengers to board and disembark easily and safely. The bridges can extend up to 140 feet and can be retracted to 90 feet, depending on the size and distance the aircraft is from the terminal. They also provide air conditioning and heating.  You can get more info HERE.

I have never flown out of the Columbia Regional Airport.  I usually fly out of the Kansas City airport, and I have found it to be so much easier.  St Louis, for whatever reason, seemed to be more of an inconvenience when it came to parking, etc.  I wonder if with this expansion, if another airline will ever fly out of Columbia other than American.  If you go want more info on the Columbia Regional Airport you can click HERE.

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