Columbia airport hits record passenger numbers

The Columbia Regional Airport passenger numbers hit a record high. October was a banner month for the airport with 12,017 passengers flying through. The airport opened in 1968 and has never seen passenger levels as high as last month.

Last month, 5,974 passengers flew out of COU and 6,043 passengers flew into the airport. A

Airport administrators said it’s also been a great year for COU. Its passenger numbers already exceed last year, which totaled 53,080.

Airport managers attribute some of the growth to flying into two international airports — Dallas and Chicago.

“We’ve been increasing the passenger county by about 25 percent per year over time, and we just now reached the peak. We’re feeling good about the air service,” said Don Elliott, manager of Columbia Regional Airport.

The high passenger numbers come as COU completes a renovation to its snack bar and bathrooms. Crews are also about to wrap up construction on part of a major runway project.