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COLUMBIA, MO. -- Columbia city leaders are trying to find some money to pay for improvements at the Columbia Regional Airport.

City officials said the small size of the airport has kept potential businesses and jobs from coming to Mid-Missouri.

Workers at the Columbia Regional Airport can only load and unload one jet at a time.  Delta Airlines offers the only service to and from Memphis.  Columbia city officials are looking at other airlines that would have three flights a day to Dallas and Chicago.  Mayor Bob McDavid says the only answer is a bigger terminal and a larger runway.

McDavid said, “Our goal is O’Hare.  Our goal is Dallas, Fort Worth.  I’d like to see a couple of flights a day into Atlanta.  The traffic is here.  We just need to create an attractive enough air selection that’s not priced out of the market.”

Federal government officials have offered to pay for 95% of the cost for a larger runway.  City officials said money for a multi-million-dollar expansion of the airport’s terminal could come from higher hotel and tourism taxes in Columbia and surrounding communities.

The airport’s terminal only has one security line and one check-in area.  City leaders said about 1,000 Mid-Missouri travelers avoid this service everyday.  Instead, they use the airports in St. Louis and Kansas City because those airports have more options.

McDavid has talked about establishing a regional airport authority that would include Jefferson City, Fulton, The Lake of the Ozarks, Boonville, Sedalia and Moberly to help pay for airport improvements.

Columbia councilman Gary Kespohl said, “None of those people are interested in participating because it’s a financial commitment.  We have to make a guarantee to the airline.  They don’t want to make a financial commitment.  Of course, they’ll be more than happy to reap the benefit if we do go ahead and do this.”

Columbia city leaders said they will continue to discuss airport expansion plans during this year’s council meetings.  The airport has been the same size since 1969.

McDavid also wants to change the name of Columbia Regional Airport to better reflect the entire Mid-Missouri area.