Columbia’s new airline takes off

The Columbia Regional Airport held an open house on Oct. 5, the first day of service for the new airline, Mesa Air Group’s Air Midwest, which operates flights as US Airways Express.

Rusty Strodtman of Forum Development Group (above, with pilot Jeffrey Job) toured the Beechcraft 1900D used by Mesa, as did Suzi and Richard Seaman (left), and Andrea Quiroz, membership director for the Columbia Chamber of Commerce (below).

US Airways Express is offering daily round-trip flights to St. Louis and Kansas City, and is charging a $59 each way, plus fees and taxes.

During the first week of the federally-subsidized service, the 19-seat plane was, on average, more than half full for its flights from Columbia to St. Louis and Kansas City, airport Manager Kathy Frerking said. It is difficult to compare that with the passenger count of the previous airline, Trans States, because Trans States operated a larger plane, offered fewer daily flights, and offered direct flights only to St. Louis.