SOUTHEAST GEORGIA — Growth is reshaping Southeast Georgia, and airports across the region are investing in new facilities, hangars and infrastructure to keep pace with rising demand from businesses, travelers and industry.
From Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to smaller general aviation facilities, airport officials say development tied to manufacturing growth, including from Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and its suppliers, is creating new opportunities and new pressures. Southeast Georgia is home to 17 public-use airports, and many of them are planning major improvements in the coming years.
In Liberty County, MidCoast Regional Airport expansion aims to meet growing demand
Liberty County's MidCoast Regional Airport is pursuing an expansion that would add about 83 acres to its current 33 civilian-use acres.
The airport, Georgia's only joint-use civilian and military airport, plans to add two new T-hangar buildings with about 24 aircraft storage units and eight larger box hangars capable of housing multiple aircraft or larger planes. Construction is tentatively planned for 2028 or 2029.
“The future rests in people being able to get to us and see what we have to offer,” Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway, said. “We have a beautiful facility that we constantly want to upgrade. We look forward to the future … where industrial clients can fly in and it’s convenient. It’s a driver of economic development.”
Local officials also view the expansion as an opportunity to attract aviation-related industries.
“We have heard from companies that would be interested in being on or near a runway,” said Brynn Grant, CEO of the Liberty County Development Authority. “We intend to make space available for suitable operations and services that can create jobs and further diversify the local tax base.”
On the military side, Williams said a proposal to add runway lighting remains under consideration, though federal funding could become more difficult to secure.
Statesboro-Bulloch Airport expanding for business aviation
Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport is adding 10 new T-hangars and two corporate hangars as demand for business aviation grows.
Airport Manager Kathy Boykin said the airport recently resurfaced its 6,000-foot runway, improving its ability to accommodate heavier aircraft and making the facility more attractive to corporate operators. The airport also features an instrument landing system and GPS approaches, allowing it to serve a wide range of business jets.
Because of its inland location, the airport can also function as a staging area for disaster response operations during hurricanes and other coastal emergencies.
Boykin said the airport's unique availability of both jet fuel and gasoline attracts users ranging from corporate aircraft and business travelers to recreational pilots and flight schools.
"One of the top 10 things companies look for when considering a new location is proximity to an airport," she said.
The airport currently has between 70 and 75 hangars, including those under construction. Future plans include additional hangars, taxiway and ramp improvements, and upgraded runway lighting.
Even smaller airports are looking ahead
Officials at Claxton-Evans County Airport are positioning the facility for growth with plans to add new hangars, introduce Jet A fuel and attract a flight school and aviation maintenance operations.
The airport operates around the clock through self-service fueling systems and serves 22 based aircraft housed in 22 hangars. Most are privately owned recreational planes, though the airport also supports business and commercial aviation users.
"We stay pretty busy," Airport Manager John Owens said. "We have probably five or six planes a day coming in for fuel, and we have our own people flying in and out. It's a benefit to the surrounding counties, too."
Much of the airport's traffic consists of transient aircraft traveling along the East Coast, while local industries such as Claxton Poultry and agricultural businesses also rely on the facility.
Owens said establishing a flight school is a priority, with space already available inside the airport's terminal building. Recruiting an aviation mechanic to provide on-site maintenance services is another goal.
Recent improvements include a $1 million hangar expansion completed in 2019, runway extensions that increased the airfield from 3,000 to 5,000 feet and installation of a modern weather observation system.
Plans call for construction of 10 additional hangars next year, with corporate hangars also under consideration. Owens said industrial growth tied to HMGMA and its suppliers is creating opportunities for airports across the region, and he said the Claxton-Evans Airport is in close proximity.
“We’re only a few miles from I-16, and any businesses or future growth coming in here will need hangars,” Owens said. “Hopefully we can attract some of that business.
Savannah/Hilton Head Airport investing hundreds of millions to support rapid growth
Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is undertaking a $300–$400 million capital improvement program across its campus. Projects include runway and taxiway upgrades, terminal apron expansion, military and general aviation improvements, a new security checkpoint, terminal expansion, an $80 million air cargo complex and planning for a 2,000-space parking garage. Greg Kelly, the executive director of the Airport Commission said fixed-base operators are also investing more than $40 million in business aviation facilities.
Military facilities are also being modernized to accommodate new aircraft, while new taxiways and connector roads will support cargo operations, Gulfstream expansion, and future aeronautical development.
"We need to grow our facilities to accommodate not just what we experience now, but what we anticipate over the next five to 10 years," Kelly said.
Kelly said the airport is also working with state transportation officials on improvements to the Interstate 95 interchange at Exit 104, which serves both the airport and the rapidly growing Pooler area.
“It was originally built just to serve the airport but now it serves the whole region and the traffic and growth in the area has created the need to have interchanges out there with more capacity that will serve us for the future,” Kelly said.
