Columbia gets Memphis air connection

       Memphis will replace Kansas City as Columbia’s federally subsidized commercial flight connection.
       The U.S. Department of Transportation notified the city on Monday afternoon that it will allocate $2.2 million annually to Mesaba to provide three daily flights from the Columbia airport to Memphis International Airport and three daily flights from Memphis to Columbia. 
       The Memphis connection with three daily flights was the Columbia City Council’s top choice for Essential Air Service. 
       Mesaba, a regional carrier for Northwest Airlines, will replace Air Midwest, which provides flights to and from Kansas City to Columbia. The date of the changeover was not announced.