WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Travelers will soon begin to see some changes if you fly in or out of the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE).
On Wednesday, April 24, leaders from the airport detailed how they're getting a face lift that will start to be very noticeable this summer.
More and more rolling suitcases passing through the Columbia Metropolitan Airport is what's responsible for several new projects coming to the regional air hub.
"Some of the new businesses coming here, like Scout Motors, that's a big deal. So I think that trend of more people coming here, better jobs, more disposable income, they're coming from other places, they're going to want to go back and visit where they came from, there's a lot of reasons that we think the airport will grow," said Frank Murray, CAE VP of planning and engineering.
This growth is welcomed by local travelers.
"I love this airport because it's small, but yet it's quaint, it's nice, it's clean and it's growing," Larry Mixson, airport traveler said. "I just went to the parking lot and I got the last parking place."
"In 2019 we saw 1.3 million passengers through this airport," said Mike Gula, president of CAE. "We’re on track right now to see 1.4M through the terminal."
According to airport officials, travelers will start seeing expansion work on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station, the airport's air traffic control tower relocating, a new business working space, a nursing room for mothers, and beginning work on the airport's solar micro-grid this summer.
Airport officials explain the U.S. Customs area typically serves 20 people, but with the upgraded facility, will be able to service 30-50 people.
Beyond the TSA checkpoint expanding from two lanes to four lanes, the airport tells News 9 they'll also be adding a sensory friendly room and a pet relief area. There will also be new indoor and outdoor lounges where passengers and their families can relax before and after their flight.
Murray tells News19 the solar mirco-grid is a larger project that will take a few years. He adds that it will be a new roof over the covered parking garage to help with future EV (electric vehicle) charging needs and offset about 50% of the terminal's electrical demand.
The director of the SC Aeronautics Commission, Greg Siegfried explains this nearly $10 million project will cash in a big return on investment.
"What they found is that South Carolina is lagging behind most of our southern states and southern competition. But they also found that for every dollar that the state puts into our airports, it returns about $3,000 in economic activity and economic impact," Siegfried said.
"I hope it brings more people to Columbia," Kira Simpson, airport traveler said.
"To see smaller airports like this to get a boost, it's a nice thing and it's a good thing for the people that live here too," Nick Quattrini, airport traveler said.
This growth to the Capital City's transportation hub is an effort in matching the influx of people into the Midlands.
Airport officials said everything should be complete by the middle to end of 2025.