It has been said there are two ways out of Columbia: Atlanta and Charlotte.

The paths are changing.

Now, travelers can fly directly from Columbia to 14 cities. And Dallas becomes the 15th option in September.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport said Friday that American Airlines will return after a nine-year absence. Three daily, nonstop flights between the cities will begin Sept. 30.

This is important to Columbia in terms of economic development because people want to be able to jump from one city to another without going through Atlanta or Charlotte, said Emerson Smith, who owns Metromark Market Research with offices in Columbia and Dallas.

Smith flies to Dallas at least once a month. He had been missing a nonstop connection to the Texas city since Delta dropped the route in January.

Now, Smith looks forward to catching a plane at 6:42 a.m. and walking into his Dallas office by 9 a.m. It is better than spending a whole day just getting there.

I love Atlanta, but Id rather not spend a lot of time in the Atlanta airport when Im supposed to be in Dallas working, he said.

The Columbia airport had been recruiting American for about a year, said Mike Flack, the airports executive director.

Columbia airport officials had wanted American to add service to Raleigh. But when Delta dropped its Columbia to Dallas connection, the airport began asking American for that route, Flack said.

Dallas is the fourth-most popular destination for Columbia travelers, Flack said.

Weve got a lot of people who want to use that service, and weve got a lot of people who are American frequent fliers, Flack said.

Lisa Bailey, a spokeswoman with American Eagle, which is owned by American Airlines, would not confirm the announcement. She said press releases had not been authorized.

American Airlines dropped its Columbia service in 1996 after closing its hub in Nashville, Tenn., Flack said. Columbia was among 20 southeastern cities to lose service when the hub closed.

It was not about Columbia, Flack said. In fact, they were doing well in Columbia.