Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is located in West Columbia, South Carolina. It first opened in 1940 as Owens Field and was used as a military airfield during World War II. After the war, the airport continued to be used for general aviation until 1962 when it was redeveloped to become a commercial airport. The new terminal building was designed by local architects and featured an innovative design that included two concourses and two separate baggage claim areas.
The airport experienced rapid growth in the 1970s with several airlines now offering flights to destinations including Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington D.C., and Miami. In 1972 the airport changed its name from Owens Field to Columbia Metropolitan Airport, reflecting its increased role as a major regional hub. The early 1980s saw further expansion with additional runways being constructed and the installation of a new air traffic control tower. In 1983, US Airways began service to Columbia Metropolitan Airport making it one of only six airports in the country served by this airline at that time.
Today Columbia Metropolitan Airport is served by six major airlines offering nonstop service to over 20 cities throughout the United States including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago and Houston. The airport has also seen significant growth in cargo operations with several cargo carriers now providing regular service from CAE. In 2015, CAE underwent a $125 million renovation which included new restaurants and retail outlets as well as a complete renovation of its terminal building which improved passenger experience significantly.
CAE is the abbreviation code for Columbia Metropolitan Airport. According to Abbreviation Finder, CAE can also mean:
- Cable Acceptance Engineer
- California Association of Employers
- Cambridge Advanced Examination
- Canadian Aviation Electronics
- Canadian Aviation Expo
- Capillary Array Electrophoresis
- Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis
- Center for Agriculture in the Environment
- Center of Academic Excellence
- Center of the American Experiment
- Centre d’Analyses Environnementales
- Centre for Applied Ethics
- Centre of Adult Education
- Certificate in Advanced English
- Certified Association Executive
- Certified Asthma Educator
- Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railroad Corporation
- Chief Audit Executive
- Child Abduction Emergency
- Childhood Absence Epilepsy
Columbia, SC Airport (CAE)
The Columbia Metropolitan Airport is an important aviation hub of the US state of South Carolina. It is located near the capital of the same name, in the county of Richland County.
- URL: Columbia, SC (CAE)
- Time zone: GMT -5
- Service phone: +1 803 822-5000
- Address: Columbia Metropolitan Airport, 3250 Airport Boulevard, West Columbia, SC 29170, USA
- Operator: Richland-Lexington Airport Commission
- Parking: Yes, chargeable, short-term and long-term parking, but the first 20 minutes are free.
- Nearby cities: Columbia SC (10 km)
- Transport links: The airport is right off Interstate 26 at exit # 113.
- Train Connections: Take the train to Columbia Amtrak Rail Station, then change to CMRTA bus route # 28a.
- Flight distribution on the days of the week: Monday (15.37%), Tuesday (14.17%), Wednesday (14.36%), Thursday (14.72%), Friday (15.10%), Saturday (11.04%), Sunday (15.24%)
- other spellings: Columbia SC, Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Колумбия (Южная Каролина) Колумбія, Південна Кароліна, Колумбија, ЈужнаКаролина, كولومبيا, كارولاينا الجنوبية, קולומביה-קרוליינה הדרומית, कोलंबिया, दक्षिण कैरोलीना, 컬럼비아 (사우스 캐롤라이나 주),コロンビア (サ ウ ス カ ロ ラ イ ナ 州), 哥伦比亚 (南卡罗 来 纳 州)
Top Destinations From Columbia, SC (Flights Per Week)
- Atlanta International Airport (67, 25.97%)
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport, NC (56, 21.71%)
- Washington DC – Ronald Reagan National Airport, VA (29, 11.24%)
- Philadelphia International Airport, PA (24, 9.30%)
- Washington DC – Dulles International Airport, DC (23, 8.91%)
- New York – La Guardia Airport, NY (22, 8.53%)
- Dallas – Fort Worth International Airport, TX (21, 8.14%)
- Wausau – Central Wisconsin Airport, WI (8, 3.10%)
- Other (3.10%)
Top airlines (share of take-offs / landings)
- American Airlines (269, 23.49%)
- Korean Air Lines (122, 10.66%)
- Aeroméxico (113, 9.87%)
- Virgin Atlantic Airways (68, 5.94%)
- Westjet (66, 5.76%)
- KLM (62, 5.41%)
- Air France (61, 5.33%)
- United Airlines (59, 5.15%)
- Delta Air Lines (57, 4.98%)
- ALITALIA (40, 3.49%)
- Other (19.92%)
Location
The airport is located 10 kilometers west of the capital of the state of South Carolina. The quickest way to get to the airport from the north and south is Interstate 26. Take Interstate 26 between Columbia and Orangeburg until just before Springdale (Exit # 113) and then follow on State Road 302 (Airport Blvd) follow signs to the airport. Drivers arriving from the west should take Interstate 20 to just before Columbia and then turn right onto Interstate 26. Take this to exit # 113 and then follow the signs to the airport.
Passengers arriving by train take the Amtrak’s “Silver Star” route to Columbia Rail Station and then change to bus route # 28a operated by the local public transport company CMRTA.