$1.8 million passenger boarding bridge for COU approved by Columbia’s city council

By Brian Hauswirth
american airlines march 2022

Millions of dollars in improvements at Columbia Regional Airport (COU) have been approved by Columbia’s city council, including a $1.8 million passenger boarding bridge project.

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A United Airlines plane at Columbia Regional Airport (September 2025 file photo courtesy of city of Columbia’s Facebook page)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will reimburse the city for 90 percent of construction costs.

The council also approved the $859,000 planned construction of the Terminal building loop road project. The council learned in May that COU is the nation’s fastest-growing airport. COU welcomed more than 242,000 passengers in 2025, a record and a 17 percent increase over 2024 numbers.