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Columbia
Metropolitan Airport
In the early 1940's, early aviation pioneers established a
landing area in Lexington County known as the Lexington County
Airport. The site was selected because of elevation, the nature
of the terrain and the good soil in the area upon which to
construct facilities such as taxiways, aprons and runways.
Around 1941, the United States War Department acquired the
Airport from Lexington County and expanded it dramatically to
serve the effort for World War II. In 1943, Jimmy Doolittle, a
famous military aviator and legend, traveled to Columbia and
called volunteers for a secret military mission. Approximately
twenty-five of these B-25 flight crews later flew the famous
Doolittle Raid over Tokyo. The Doolittle raid was the first good
news from the Pacific theater of operations.
Following the war, the land which the government had acquired
for the war effort reverted to Lexington County. The City of
Columbia eventually constructed a terminal building at the
Lexington County Airport and airline operations that had been
ongoing at Owens Field shifted to the Lexington County Airport.
In the late 1950's, Columbia Mayor Lester Bates and others
formed a study group to study how an Airport could be developed
and administered to serve Richland County and Lexington County.
From this study committee, legislation established the
Richland-Lexington Airport District. Since 1962, the Airport
District has operated the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
In 1983, the Airport was designated a U.S. Customs Port of Entry
and in 1986, the Airport was designated Foreign-Trade Zone 127.
In 1994, United Parcel Service selected Columbia Metropolitan
Airport as the site for a UPS Southeastern Regional Hub.
Any size airplane can land at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport
including the Boeing 747 and the military C5A. Over 1400 people
now work at the Airport.
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is located six miles southwest of
Columbia's central business district and is also conveniently
located near three interstate highways which run through
Columbia -- I-20, I-26, and I-77. Interstate 95 is about 55
miles away. The airport is much like a 2600-acre city with more
than 50 agencies and businesses located on the airport property.
Air passenger and cargo service is offered by scheduled
airlines, jet freight carriers, two fixed base operators and
various charter flights. Air operations are conducted on an
8600' x 150' runway and an 8000' x 150' runway.
Scheduled airline service by:
AirTran, Comair, Continental, Delta, Midway and USAir/USAir
Express.
Car rental agencies:
Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Enterprise, Hertz, National,
Thrifty
The airport is located on SC Highway 302 off I-26 at exit 113.
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