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Columbia Metropolitan Airport had its busiest May on record this year, topping a previous high set more than two decades ago as airport leadership say more Midlands residents are choosing to fly out of the Columbia airport rather than travelling to larger regional ones like Charlotte’s.
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The airport saw 65,411 passengers in May 2026, surpassing the prior May record of 63,522 travelers set in 2005, according to a news release from the airport. The airport also reported a 4% increase in passengers from May 2025.
“With more Midlands residents opting to fly local, our airline partners are positively responding to this demand by increasing seat capacity in the market and increasing the aircraft size for certain routes,” Kim Crafton, the airport’s vice president of marketing and air service development, said in the release.
The record-breaking May comes as the airport has been regaining ground lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. CAE has broken annual passenger records twice in the last two years, setting a new annual record in 2025 with 1.37 million passengers that year.
The year prior, the airport finally surpassed its previous record-high set in 2019, with 1.36 million passengers travelling through the airport in 2024.
That growth has continued into 2026.
The airport’s year-to-date passenger traffic was up almost 6% compared with the same period last year, a trend leadership said it hopes continues into the summer travel season.
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Columbia Metropolitan Airport’s record-setting stretch has also come amid a leadership transition. After former CEO Mike Gula resigned suddenly in December 2024, the airport spent about a year conducting a national search before naming Chris White as its new CEO in December 2025.
The airport is also pointing to bigger planes and expanded service options. CAE expects to have five daily nonstop flights to Chicago O’Hare in the coming weeks through a combination of United Airlines and American Airlines service.
American Airlines is also adding capacity to its nonstop Dallas Fort Worth flights, increasing its size to include a first-class cabin, Wi-Fi, and powered seats.
CAE currently offers 30-plus daily flights with nonstop service to 10 airports in nine major cities, according to the release.
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