“Columbia has Spirit” — CAE welcomes its newest airline with flights to three destinations

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Spirit Airlines will now offer nonstop flights from Columbia Metropolitan Airport to Newark, New Jersey, as well as Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Kim Crafton, CAE’s Vice President of Air Service Development and Marketing says the community has eagerly awaited this moment.

“For years at every event I attended on behalf of the airport, I was asked ‘When will we get another airline? When are we gonna get more routes? Do you think we’ll have Spirit one day?’ I know I speak for the entire team when I say I can put a big exclamation point on the answer to that last question with yes! And that day is today that we have Spirit,” says Crafton at a press conference on Thursday morning.

Columbia resident Denise Oliver visits family in Newark, and says the convenience it will provide makes a huge difference.

“Going to Charlotte is a longer trip, more parking, we have friends that can drop us off. We live 20 minutes away. Much more convenient so we’ll be doing it much more often,” she says.

Newark is also less than 20 miles from New York City — opening up lots of vacation possibilities, says Anton Gunn, Chair of the Airport Commission.

“So whether you’re going to South Florida to the beaches, whether you’re going to Disney World or any of the other theme parks there, or you wanna go to New York City to see a Broadway play, you now can do that directly from Columbia, South Carolina on Spirit Airlines. We’re very excited about it,” he says.

Spirit, which refers to its passengers as guests, is also known for its affordable pricing, offering four different options — known as “Go Big,” “Go Comfy,” “Go Savvy,” and just “Go.”

“Oh very reasonable. The fact that we can get two flights, my husband and I for the price we’d choose one from another airport, again, reason to choose it more often,” says Oliver.

As part of its Columbia launch, Spirit is also offering bonus points to members of its “Free Spirit Loyalty Program” if you book your flight by June 9th.

The airline has been available from the Myrtle Beach Airport for over 25 years, and began offering services from Charleston in 2023.

Spirit will offer 10 flights a week to its three destinations.