All service changing to Regional Jets in April 2010
March, 2010

(Columbia, MO) Delta Air Lines upgraded to jet service for one flight out of Columbia in February and has already announced another round of upgrades for the Airport. Beginning April 6, Delta will switch all aircraft at Columbia Regional Airport (COU) from 34-seat Saab 340’s to 50-seat regional jets.

“We are pleased that Delta recognized the need for additional capacity in our market and filled that need with larger aircraft” says Kathy Frerking, Manager of the Columbia Regional Airport.

Delta Air Lines has consistently reported higher than expected load factors since August 2008 when they began service in Columbia. Load factors, meaning the percentage of seats filled on all flights leaving COU, have been averaging above 70% each month. In February 2010, Delta changed one of the three round-trip flights from a Saab 340 to a regional jet. Many of those flights have already been filled above the Saab 340’s capacity.

Don Laird, President of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, said, “We are excited about the new service to our community. The entire region has benefited by having the Delta service to Columbia Regional Airport. The increased capacity of the new jets and efficiency of operation to Memphis gives us a great connection to the entire US.”