A small single-concourse Midlands field that is easy once you respect the 3:45 a.m.–8:00 p.m. TSA clock — three hub airlines, no lounge, and $12 surface parking after Allegiant left in May 2026.
Ground access7.2
Reliability7.0
Lounges2.0
How the score works
An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.
25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
A small single-concourse Midlands field that is easy once you respect the 3:45 a.m.–8:00 p.m. TSA clock — three hub airlines, no lounge, and $12 surface parking after Allegiant left in May 2026.
Official TSA clock is 2 hours / checkpoint closes 8:00 p.m. — not a 24-hour lane
No passenger lounge — the Business Center and Nov 2025 rooms are free public space, not Priority Pass
Official CAE pages do not print The COMET Route 91 number or $2 fare
Lounges · 10%
Worth-it density and access quality.
2.0
Owner / operator **Richland-Lexington Airport District** (special-purpose district of South Carolina; 12 commissioners). Live commission page (13 Sep 2026): Chairwoman **Elizabeth Taylor**; Lexington **Rod Dooley**, **Tripp Jones**, **Mark Weber**, **Dawn Wetherley**; Richland **Chappelle Broome-Stevenson**, **LaJoia Broughton**, **Duane Cooper**, **Johnny Folsom**, **Anton Gunn**; City cards still print **Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin** and **Curtis Dayson**. 2024 leftover docs still call **Anton Gunn** Chair — leftover. President & CEO / AirNav manager **Chris White, A.A.E.** (effective **5 Jan 2026**). VP Finance **Gregg Hornsby** (AirNav leftover still lists him as interim CEO). VP Marketing & Air Service **Kim Jamieson Crafton**. VP Facilities and Planning **Frank Murray**. VP Operations and Aviation Services **Ryan Kreulen, A.A.E.**, **803-822-7815**. Terminal / admin **3250 Airport Blvd, Suite 10, West Columbia, SC 29170**. Switchboard **803-822-5000**. AirNav manager line **803-822-5078**. Ops / PPR **803-822-5050**. FAQ leftover info@columbiaairport.com. Civil passenger terminal. Historical Lexington County Airport / Columbia Army Air Base names are gone as passenger branding; IATA stays **CAE**. **Do not create a second airport for KCAE or a Columbia AAB / McEntire JNGB page.** **Do not merge CHS, GSP, CLT, or CUB (Owens Field).**
One civil building, official terminal page: **single concourse**. Official TSA page: checkpoint **3:45 a.m.–8:00 p.m. daily**. Official TSA / homepage: arrive **2 hours** domestic / **3 hours** international leftover; same TSA page also prints **90 minutes to two hours** for domestic. Live official airlines page (13 Sep 2026), **three** names: **American, Delta, United**. **Do not invent Allegiant, Spirit, Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier, or Alaska as live.** Allegiant’s last CAE day was **4 May 2026**. Spirit exited in **2025**. **No scheduled international passenger airline.**
**No passenger lounge.** Official dining / amenities / FAQ / maps have no paid club. Live Escape Lounges US list does **not** include CAE. Aggregator **“The Club CAE / Escape CAE / Priority Pass Business Center / $25 LoungePair” is fiction.** The airside Business Center and the Nov 2025 free seating rooms are public rooms. USO is military. Empty `lounges: []`. **Do not seed a placeholder lounge row.**
`lib/airports.json`: IATA **CAE**, ICAO **KCAE**, 33.940358, −81.12075, America/New_York. AirNav elev **235.9 ft**, 5 mi SW of Columbia; 33.9388381, −81.1195356; ZIP **29170**. Wikipedia / FAA **2,600 acres**. AirNav RWY **11/29 8,601×150**, **5/23 8,001×150** (RWY 5 displaced **1,000 ft**), helipad **H1 50×50**. ARFF Index **B**. ATCT continuous. Customs landing-rights / new ~**8,000 sq ft** CBP FIS (ribbon **31 Jul 2026**, press “first weeks of August”). Official aviation-services card: customs **24/7 upon request** for cargo and business aviation — **not** a scheduled international passenger airline.
Official TSA clock is 2 hours / checkpoint closes 8:00 p.m. — not a 24-hour lane
No passenger lounge — the Business Center and Nov 2025 rooms are free public space, not Priority Pass
Official CAE pages do not print The COMET Route 91 number or $2 fare
Lounges · 10%
Worth-it density and access quality.
2.0
Owner / operator **Richland-Lexington Airport District** (special-purpose district of South Carolina; 12 commissioners). Live commission page (13 Sep 2026): Chairwoman **Elizabeth Taylor**; Lexington **Rod Dooley**, **Tripp Jones**, **Mark Weber**, **Dawn Wetherley**; Richland **Chappelle Broome-Stevenson**, **LaJoia Broughton**, **Duane Cooper**, **Johnny Folsom**, **Anton Gunn**; City cards still print **Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin** and **Curtis Dayson**. 2024 leftover docs still call **Anton Gunn** Chair — leftover. President & CEO / AirNav manager **Chris White, A.A.E.** (effective **5 Jan 2026**). VP Finance **Gregg Hornsby** (AirNav leftover still lists him as interim CEO). VP Marketing & Air Service **Kim Jamieson Crafton**. VP Facilities and Planning **Frank Murray**. VP Operations and Aviation Services **Ryan Kreulen, A.A.E.**, **803-822-7815**. Terminal / admin **3250 Airport Blvd, Suite 10, West Columbia, SC 29170**. Switchboard **803-822-5000**. AirNav manager line **803-822-5078**. Ops / PPR **803-822-5050**. FAQ leftover info@columbiaairport.com. Civil passenger terminal. Historical Lexington County Airport / Columbia Army Air Base names are gone as passenger branding; IATA stays **CAE**. **Do not create a second airport for KCAE or a Columbia AAB / McEntire JNGB page.** **Do not merge CHS, GSP, CLT, or CUB (Owens Field).**
One civil building, official terminal page: **single concourse**. Official TSA page: checkpoint **3:45 a.m.–8:00 p.m. daily**. Official TSA / homepage: arrive **2 hours** domestic / **3 hours** international leftover; same TSA page also prints **90 minutes to two hours** for domestic. Live official airlines page (13 Sep 2026), **three** names: **American, Delta, United**. **Do not invent Allegiant, Spirit, Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier, or Alaska as live.** Allegiant’s last CAE day was **4 May 2026**. Spirit exited in **2025**. **No scheduled international passenger airline.**
**No passenger lounge.** Official dining / amenities / FAQ / maps have no paid club. Live Escape Lounges US list does **not** include CAE. Aggregator **“The Club CAE / Escape CAE / Priority Pass Business Center / $25 LoungePair” is fiction.** The airside Business Center and the Nov 2025 free seating rooms are public rooms. USO is military. Empty `lounges: []`. **Do not seed a placeholder lounge row.**
`lib/airports.json`: IATA **CAE**, ICAO **KCAE**, 33.940358, −81.12075, America/New_York. AirNav elev **235.9 ft**, 5 mi SW of Columbia; 33.9388381, −81.1195356; ZIP **29170**. Wikipedia / FAA **2,600 acres**. AirNav RWY **11/29 8,601×150**, **5/23 8,001×150** (RWY 5 displaced **1,000 ft**), helipad **H1 50×50**. ARFF Index **B**. ATCT continuous. Customs landing-rights / new ~**8,000 sq ft** CBP FIS (ribbon **31 Jul 2026**, press “first weeks of August”). Official aviation-services card: customs **24/7 upon request** for cargo and business aviation — **not** a scheduled international passenger airline.
Official TSA clock is 2 hours / checkpoint closes 8:00 p.m. — not a 24-hour lane
No passenger lounge — the Business Center and Nov 2025 rooms are free public space, not Priority Pass
Official CAE pages do not print The COMET Route 91 number or $2 fare
Lounges · 10%
Worth-it density and access quality.
2.0
Owner / operator **Richland-Lexington Airport District** (special-purpose district of South Carolina; 12 commissioners). Live commission page (13 Sep 2026): Chairwoman **Elizabeth Taylor**; Lexington **Rod Dooley**, **Tripp Jones**, **Mark Weber**, **Dawn Wetherley**; Richland **Chappelle Broome-Stevenson**, **LaJoia Broughton**, **Duane Cooper**, **Johnny Folsom**, **Anton Gunn**; City cards still print **Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin** and **Curtis Dayson**. 2024 leftover docs still call **Anton Gunn** Chair — leftover. President & CEO / AirNav manager **Chris White, A.A.E.** (effective **5 Jan 2026**). VP Finance **Gregg Hornsby** (AirNav leftover still lists him as interim CEO). VP Marketing & Air Service **Kim Jamieson Crafton**. VP Facilities and Planning **Frank Murray**. VP Operations and Aviation Services **Ryan Kreulen, A.A.E.**, **803-822-7815**. Terminal / admin **3250 Airport Blvd, Suite 10, West Columbia, SC 29170**. Switchboard **803-822-5000**. AirNav manager line **803-822-5078**. Ops / PPR **803-822-5050**. FAQ leftover info@columbiaairport.com. Civil passenger terminal. Historical Lexington County Airport / Columbia Army Air Base names are gone as passenger branding; IATA stays **CAE**. **Do not create a second airport for KCAE or a Columbia AAB / McEntire JNGB page.** **Do not merge CHS, GSP, CLT, or CUB (Owens Field).**
One civil building, official terminal page: **single concourse**. Official TSA page: checkpoint **3:45 a.m.–8:00 p.m. daily**. Official TSA / homepage: arrive **2 hours** domestic / **3 hours** international leftover; same TSA page also prints **90 minutes to two hours** for domestic. Live official airlines page (13 Sep 2026), **three** names: **American, Delta, United**. **Do not invent Allegiant, Spirit, Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier, or Alaska as live.** Allegiant’s last CAE day was **4 May 2026**. Spirit exited in **2025**. **No scheduled international passenger airline.**
**No passenger lounge.** Official dining / amenities / FAQ / maps have no paid club. Live Escape Lounges US list does **not** include CAE. Aggregator **“The Club CAE / Escape CAE / Priority Pass Business Center / $25 LoungePair” is fiction.** The airside Business Center and the Nov 2025 free seating rooms are public rooms. USO is military. Empty `lounges: []`. **Do not seed a placeholder lounge row.**
`lib/airports.json`: IATA **CAE**, ICAO **KCAE**, 33.940358, −81.12075, America/New_York. AirNav elev **235.9 ft**, 5 mi SW of Columbia; 33.9388381, −81.1195356; ZIP **29170**. Wikipedia / FAA **2,600 acres**. AirNav RWY **11/29 8,601×150**, **5/23 8,001×150** (RWY 5 displaced **1,000 ft**), helipad **H1 50×50**. ARFF Index **B**. ATCT continuous. Customs landing-rights / new ~**8,000 sq ft** CBP FIS (ribbon **31 Jul 2026**, press “first weeks of August”). Official aviation-services card: customs **24/7 upon request** for cargo and business aviation — **not** a scheduled international passenger airline.
No passenger lounge. Official dining, amenities, FAQ, and maps have no club. Live Escape Lounges US list (Tulsa / San Juan newest on that card) does not include CAE. Priority Pass USA lists that include CHS / COS / GRR / GSP do not include CAE. Aggregator “The Club CAE / Escape CAE / Priority Pass Business Center / LoungePair $25” is fiction. Empty lounges: []. Do not seed a placeholder.
Official TSA clock is 2 hours / checkpoint closes 8:00 p.m. — not a 24-hour lane
No passenger lounge — the Business Center and Nov 2025 rooms are free public space, not Priority Pass
Official CAE pages do not print The COMET Route 91 number or $2 fare
Lounges · 10%
Worth-it density and access quality.
2.0
Owner / operator **Richland-Lexington Airport District** (special-purpose district of South Carolina; 12 commissioners). Live commission page (13 Sep 2026): Chairwoman **Elizabeth Taylor**; Lexington **Rod Dooley**, **Tripp Jones**, **Mark Weber**, **Dawn Wetherley**; Richland **Chappelle Broome-Stevenson**, **LaJoia Broughton**, **Duane Cooper**, **Johnny Folsom**, **Anton Gunn**; City cards still print **Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin** and **Curtis Dayson**. 2024 leftover docs still call **Anton Gunn** Chair — leftover. President & CEO / AirNav manager **Chris White, A.A.E.** (effective **5 Jan 2026**). VP Finance **Gregg Hornsby** (AirNav leftover still lists him as interim CEO). VP Marketing & Air Service **Kim Jamieson Crafton**. VP Facilities and Planning **Frank Murray**. VP Operations and Aviation Services **Ryan Kreulen, A.A.E.**, **803-822-7815**. Terminal / admin **3250 Airport Blvd, Suite 10, West Columbia, SC 29170**. Switchboard **803-822-5000**. AirNav manager line **803-822-5078**. Ops / PPR **803-822-5050**. FAQ leftover info@columbiaairport.com. Civil passenger terminal. Historical Lexington County Airport / Columbia Army Air Base names are gone as passenger branding; IATA stays **CAE**. **Do not create a second airport for KCAE or a Columbia AAB / McEntire JNGB page.** **Do not merge CHS, GSP, CLT, or CUB (Owens Field).**
One civil building, official terminal page: **single concourse**. Official TSA page: checkpoint **3:45 a.m.–8:00 p.m. daily**. Official TSA / homepage: arrive **2 hours** domestic / **3 hours** international leftover; same TSA page also prints **90 minutes to two hours** for domestic. Live official airlines page (13 Sep 2026), **three** names: **American, Delta, United**. **Do not invent Allegiant, Spirit, Southwest, jetBlue, Frontier, or Alaska as live.** Allegiant’s last CAE day was **4 May 2026**. Spirit exited in **2025**. **No scheduled international passenger airline.**
**No passenger lounge.** Official dining / amenities / FAQ / maps have no paid club. Live Escape Lounges US list does **not** include CAE. Aggregator **“The Club CAE / Escape CAE / Priority Pass Business Center / $25 LoungePair” is fiction.** The airside Business Center and the Nov 2025 free seating rooms are public rooms. USO is military. Empty `lounges: []`. **Do not seed a placeholder lounge row.**
`lib/airports.json`: IATA **CAE**, ICAO **KCAE**, 33.940358, −81.12075, America/New_York. AirNav elev **235.9 ft**, 5 mi SW of Columbia; 33.9388381, −81.1195356; ZIP **29170**. Wikipedia / FAA **2,600 acres**. AirNav RWY **11/29 8,601×150**, **5/23 8,001×150** (RWY 5 displaced **1,000 ft**), helipad **H1 50×50**. ARFF Index **B**. ATCT continuous. Customs landing-rights / new ~**8,000 sq ft** CBP FIS (ribbon **31 Jul 2026**, press “first weeks of August”). Official aviation-services card: customs **24/7 upon request** for cargo and business aviation — **not** a scheduled international passenger airline.
No passenger lounge. Official dining, amenities, FAQ, and maps have no club. Live Escape Lounges US list (Tulsa / San Juan newest on that card) does not include CAE. Priority Pass USA lists that include CHS / COS / GRR / GSP do not include CAE. Aggregator “The Club CAE / Escape CAE / Priority Pass Business Center / LoungePair $25” is fiction. Empty lounges: []. Do not seed a placeholder.