Airline will cut services to Columbia months after taking flight at SC airport
Months after Spirit Airlines began offering flights at Columbia Metropolitan Airport, the aviation company announced it is cutting services to South Carolina’s capital city.
On Aug. 29, Spirit Airlines announced it was filing for bankruptcy, CNBC reported. On Thursday, a spokeswoman for Columbia Metropolitan Airport said that Spirit Airlines will be exiting the Midlands market as of Oct. 4.
It was just June when Spirit planes began offering direct, nonstop flights from Columbia to three cities — Orlando and Fort Lauderdale in Florida as well as Newark, New Jersey. Now any passengers who have purchased tickets or are scheduled to fly on Spirit from Columbia after Oct. 4 will need to contact Spirit Airlines Guest Care via the “Contact Us” section on Spirit.com, airport officials said in a news release.
“This news came as a shock to the entire airport team as all three routes saw consistently high load factors — which is the percentage of seats sold per flight,” spokeswoman Kim Crafton said in the release. “Additionally, the response from our passengers to this service proved this community can successfully sustain a low cost carrier.”
Columbia is one of a dozen airports affected by Spirit’s bankruptcy filing. The airline is also cutting its services at airports in Albuquerque, Birmingham, Boise, Chattanooga, Oakland-San Francisco, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego and San Jose, Men’s Journal reported.
Spirit’s plans to offer flights from Macon, Georgia to Fort Lauderdale were scrapped before they took off, the Telegraph reported.
Spirit’s flights to and from airports in Myrtle Beach and Charleston do not appear to be affected by the latest bankruptcy filing.
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Spirit came out of Chapter 11 protection in March, but now airline officials say they will “reduce its network and shrink its fleet,” CNBC reported.
“It is unfortunate that Spirit finds itself in this position, and we hope they are able to reorganize in the bankruptcy process,” Crafton said. “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 (Columbia Metropolitan Airport).”
Passengers leaving Columbia who are looking to fly to Orlando and and Fort Lauderdale have the option to fly on an Allegiant aircraft on Thursdays and Sundays, according to Crafton.
Another possible option is being offered by United Airlines, which offers flights from Columbia Metropolitan Airport. United Airlines has given special offers on multiple new flights where Spirit Airlines operates, according to Men’s Journal. That company announced beginning Sept. 4 that it would add a nonstop route to Newark, essentially replacing Spirit’s option immediately following its bankruptcy filing.
“We are excited for the addition of this new nonstop service and appreciate the longstanding partnership we have with United Airlines,” Crafton said. “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.”
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This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 12:49 PM.
