Columbia Regional Airport (COU) saw record June and July numbers, and airport director Michael Parks says they’re seeing many more faces from a larger area.
Airport director Michael Parks tells 939 the Eagle that COU’s catchment area is 17 counties:
“With the expanded service, with all the additional flights and with the expanded advertising that we’re doing, we are pulling passengers from further away,” Mr. Parks says.
He says 21,826 passengers flew out of Columbia Regional in July, up from June’s record-setting number of 19,584. Mr. Parks also says all three airlines, American, United and Allegiant, witnessed double-digit growth in July from June. We’re waiting on August numbers.
Director Parks predicts the many new faces we’re seeing flying out of COU will lead to more service in the future. 939 the Eagle listeners on our Facebook page overwhelmingly praise COU, but some of them would also like to see flights to destinations like Las Vegas, Atlanta and Phoenix. Mr. Parks reads your comments on our Facebook page and tells 939 the Eagle that he wants you to continue to provide that feedback:
“We do use that information and so when I have conversations with our current carriers (American Airlines, United Airlines and Allegiant Airlines) or the potential new carriers in the future, I always use the information that I hear from the community,” he says.
COU currently offers nonstop flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Charlotte, Denver, Orlando Sanford and to Destin-Fort Walton Beach.