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Chris White, president and CEO of CAE, gives remarks during a ribbon cutting event for the new U.S. Customs & Border Protection Facility. (Photo/www.FlyCAE.com)
Chris White, president and CEO of CAE, gives remarks during a ribbon cutting event for the new U.S. Customs & Border Protection Facility. (Photo/www.FlyCAE.com)
Columbia Metropolitan Airport opens new Customs facility
Ross Norton // July 16, 2026//
- Columbia Metropolitan Airport unveiled a new 8,000-square-foot U.S. Customs & Border Protection facility.
- The Federal Inspection Station will support international air cargo and business aviation operations.
- Airport leaders say the facility positions CAE for expanded cargo, charter and future commercial air service.
- The new Customs facility is expected to become fully operational in early August.
Columbia Metropolitan Airport hosted a ceremony July 15 to mark the completion of the Midland’s new U.S. Customs & Border Protection facility on the airport campus.
The upgraded and expanded facility, also referred to as a Federal Inspection Station, will allow Customs & Border Protection officers to securely process inbound international air cargo, as well as efficiently manage ongoing business aviation traffic, according to airport officials.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is honored to dedicate this new General Aviation Facility at Columbia Metropolitan Airport, reflecting our shared commitment to secure and facilitate lawful trade and travel,” Veronica Rubio, acting area port director at CBP Charleston, said in a news release. “This state-of-the-art facility strengthens border security and enhances our ability to serve the aviation community efficiently and safely.”
Sized to meet the growing demands and business opportunities of the region and state, the new facility, roughly 8,000 square feet and designed to current Department of Homeland Security and Customs & Border Protection standards, will have more space on the airport runway to easily and quickly handle clearance procedures for international passengers and cargo, the release said. Between 2024 and May of 2026, Customs and Border Protection at CAE managed roughly 505 international arrivals.
Airport officials say a robust international business presence in central South Carolina, that number is expected to increase in the years to come.
“With a focus on future growth for the airport and the region, this updated facility will support our ongoing efforts in more ways than one,” said CAE President and CEO Chris White. “A successful CBP operation could be a catalyst for future commercial air service, additional charter service and an increase in cargo operations.”
The new facility is set to be fully operational in the first weeks of August.
For more details about airport operations, including flight schedules, visit www.FlyCAE.com.
