Spirit Airlines to Cease Operations at Columbia Metropolitan Airport

Spirit Airlines has announced that it will no longer operate out of Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) starting in October of this year. This decision comes as a surprise, as the low-cost airline only recently began offering service at CAE.

In June 2025, Spirit launched nonstop flights from Columbia to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Newark. However, at the end of August, the airline filed for bankruptcy, according to reports from the Associated Press.

CAE Vice President of Marketing and Air Service Development, Kim Crafton, confirmed the news in a statement, saying, “Columbia Metropolitan Airport has learned that Spirit Airlines will be exiting the market effective Saturday, October 4. This includes all routes currently operating at CAE – Orlando International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport. Spirit is directing all passengers with scheduled service after this date to contact their Guest Care team via the ‘Contact Us’ section on their website.

Despite this setback, CAE will soon offer another option for passengers traveling to Newark through United Airlines. Starting January 7, 2026, United will provide nonstop flights from Columbia to Newark Liberty International Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Crafton expressed excitement for the new service, stating, “We are excited for the addition of this new nonstop service and appreciate the longstanding partnership we have with United Airlines. Having additional service to the New York area provides our community and valued passengers with even more opportunities for convenient air travel for leisure and business travel, economic development, and tourism.

The flights are expected to use a regional jet with 50 seats. Crafton also noted that Spirit’s departure from CAE was unexpected, as their routes at the airport were experiencing strong passenger demand. She added, “Additionally, the response from our passengers to this service proved this community can successfully sustain a low-cost carrier. It is unfortunate that Spirit finds itself in this position, and we hope they are able to reorganize in the bankruptcy process. Should Spirit be able to regain its footing in the airline industry, we’ll be excited for the potential opportunity to welcome them back to CAE.

While Spirit’s bankruptcy is impacting multiple cities, Columbia is not the only one affected. CBS News reported that the budget airline is also exiting Albuquerque, New Mexico; Birmingham, Alabama; Boise, Idaho; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego, California; and San Jose, California. Additionally, Spirit has canceled plans to begin service in Macon, Georgia, which was scheduled to launch on October 16.

Despite the loss of Spirit Airlines, CAE still offers flights to Florida through Allegiant, with service to Orlando Sanford International Airport and Hollywood International Airport on Thursdays and Sundays.

Located on Airport Boulevard in the West Columbia area of Lexington County, CAE continues to