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Spirit Airlines will offer direct service from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) and Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA). Spirit announced the flights in news releases on Wednesday, Mar. 5.
Nonstop flights to Chattanooga will begin on Wednesday, June 4, and service to Columbia will start the next day. The flights will take off four times a week and introductory fares start at $50 one way.
In June, Spirit will also begin nonstop service from Columbia to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
"We're excited to kick off our Columbia service just in time for summer and deliver a great value to visit some of the most popular leisure destinations along the East Coast," said John Kirby, Spirit's vice president of network planning. "Travelers from South Carolina's capital city will soon enjoy convenient nonstop options and Spirit's recently transformed experience on their way to various destinations with beaches, theme parks and big city attractions."
Chattanooga's flights to the Florida cities will also start in June.
"We are delighted to partner with Spirit Airlines to bring these highly sought after destinations to our community," said April Cameron, CHA's president and CEO. "Spirit will deliver high-value travel options to our passengers with dozens of connections from these new nonstop routes.
"We are thankful for the investment of Spirit and can't wait to welcome visitors from these locations here to the Scenic City!"
Once launching the service, Spirit will be the only airline flying directly between Newark and Columbia.
"Securing three nonstop routes on Spirit Airlines is a significant accomplishment for the airport and likewise a big win for this entire community and region," said Gregg Hornsby, CAE's interim president and CEO. "We're excited to welcome the Spirit team to the airport and look forward to seeing travelers in the coming months taking advantage of these fantastic air service opportunities."
CAE also has nonstop flights to LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia on American Airlines. Delta has service from Columbia to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Spirit will also be alone in nonstop service between EWR and Chattanooga. The southeastern Tennessee airport also has flights to LaGuardia on Delta.
After filing for bankruptcy in November 2024, Spirit has been working to restructure its operations while maintaining service expansions. The carrier recently rejected a merger offer from Frontier Airlines, opting instead to reduce debt and remain independent.
Columbia and Chattanooga are the third Spirit destinations in their respective states. Spirit began flying to the Palmetto State when it launched service to Myrtle Beach more than 25 years ago, later expanding to Charleston in 2023.
The Dania Beach, Florida-based airline started Volunteer State service to Nashville in 2019 and added Memphis in 2022.
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