Airline announces major job boost at Columbia Metropolitan Airport

Columbia Metropolitan Airport is adding 150 jobs.

Air Wisconsin, a regional carrier for United Airlines operating as United Express, plans to locate its newest flight-crew base at the airport beginning in October 2018.

This new crew base will add approximately 150 new pilots and flight attendants in Columbia and is in addition to the carriers’ recently expanded Columbia maintenance base, Bob Frisch Sr., vice president and chief operating officer for Air Wisconsin, said in a news release.

Airport Manager Mike Gula said the new crew members will move to Columbia. “They’ll move to the Midlands and operate out of” the Columbia airport, he said.

The new base would include new hires and transfers from the airline’s other crew bases, which are in Chicago, Milwaukee and Washington Dulles.

Columbia was chosen because it complements the airline’s footprint and route structure, the news release said. Air Wisconsin, under the United Express brand, serves Columbia with daily flights to Chicago and Washington Dulles.

The airline maintenance base performs overnight maintenance for its fleet of CRJ 200 aircraft.

“This announcement is an incredible win for both the airport and for our region,” Gula said.

This story was originally published August 2, 2018 at 11:03 AM.