COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — John Glenn International Airport is the destination and departure choice for thousands more people — and airlines are hopping on that trend.
Breeze Airways announced Wednesday it will add two non-stop flight routes from CMH, making the airport’s destination list bigger than ever before.
So far this year, Breeze Airways has added six non-stop flights to and from CMH. The original four to Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford, Connecticut; Jacksonville, Florida; and Norfolk, Virginia will return in the spring.
So will the two new additions — one to Raleigh, North Carolina and one to the John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.
Breeze Airways flights to Orange County will begin March 29, 2023, and flights to Raleigh/Durham will start May 18.
The additions bring the total number of non-stop flights at John Glenn and Rickenbacker airports to 50 destinations with 11 different airlines — higher than pre-pandemic levels, airport authority officials said.
“We’re really glad to see airlines like Breeze Airways responding to demand here in Columbus. We are continuing to see growth with our non-stop destinations and even recently added a new airline: Sun Country Airlines. So options are abundant here for Columbus travelers,” said Sarah McQuaide, the marketing and communications manager for Columbus Regional Airport Authority.
Statistics from Experience Columbus show more than 42 million people travel to the greater Columbus area each year. Those travelers spend around $6.6 billion annually – and officials said having non-stop flight options is an important part of the city’s growth.
“We are really pleased with Breeze Airways’ continued investment in our growing region,” McQuaide said.
Airport officials said this year’s numbers through October are up by 34% over 2021.
This year, airport officials have also been talking about building a new terminal to keep up with the city’s growth. At this time, there is no update on the project.