When Bryan County announced a search for members for its airport board in June, residents took to social media to hash out the new venture, many questioning just how much need there is for a new airport in the region.
Although there are airports in Claxton, Hinesville, Statesboro and beyond, officials at each say they are running out of hangar space. Most, if not all, of these are either in process of expanding or have plans to in the near future.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed The Richmond Hill-Bryan County Airport Authority Act, or House Bill 763, May 1. In doing so, it enabled Bryan County to establish an airport authority board. The Richmond Hill Airport Study estimates the project will cost $128 million. An 11-member board has since been established.
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Trip Addison, vice president and treasurer for the Development Authority, told the Savannah Morning News in a previous interview that board members will have bonding ability, among other things.
Ultimately, it will be up to the Georgia Department of Transportation to approve construction of the airport.
"We are confident they will say yes," Addison said. "Everything is moving in the right direction."
Hinesville
Road construction efforts are ramping up in Hinesville, creating more than 15-minute delays for a 2.5 mile stretch when traveling along Oglethorpe Highway, one of the town’s major thoroughfares.
It is a sign of the growth Brynn Grant, CEO of the Liberty County Development Authority, says is happening across the region. With that comes a surge in the number of vehicles on the roads - and in the sky as people move into the area. At MidCoast Regional Airport in Hinesville, the airstrip sees more than 4,000 takeoffs and landings per month.
“We have a lot of traffic transitioning from the north to south, from northern states to Florida,” said Sean Heath, fixed based operator for MidCoast Regional Airport.
Heath went on to say he expects expansion of the airport to begin in 2027. The airport will see the addition of 24 more hangars, bringing the total to 48. That, coupled with a larger taxi area, means more room to accommodate larger jets.
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“There's more planes than hangars,” said Airport Manager Charlie Martin. “We get calls daily of people wanting to have their plane here. The demand is very high.”
The airport has two employees seven days a week, giving flyers more opportunities to travel at will as some airports are closed on the weekends. There are currently 40 people on a wait list to store their single engine aircraft there. A flight school operates out of one of the hangars where four to six students are trained daily. The airport has seen individuals between 16-76 earn their pilot license.
“Once that [hangar space] becomes available, I think we'll see a lot more corporate traffic, charter and things of that nature,” said Heath.
Bulloch County
An hour away from Hinesville is the Statesboro Bulloch County Airport, a 900-acre facility that services charter planes and smaller jets. The Statesboro Bulloch County Airport has a wait list of 65 for hangar space. The facility currently has 50 hangars for general use, but has plans to build 10 more in the near future, plus two corporate hangars.
Doug Lambert, who serves on the airport board in Statesboro, said the airport makes its money from hangar space and selling fuel.
“We're part of the county government, but fortunately, we're able to be independent and generate enough income to pay our salaries and occupancy space," said Lambert. "We have an advisory board that's made up of pilots...and then some county and the city government folks. Our job is to advise the county commission on airport matters. We don't have any authority to do anything other than advise the commission.”
The airport sees traffic associated from Hyundai suppliers as well as corporate businesses like Cardinal Glass and Howard Lumber. Georgia Southern University’s men's basketball team travels in and out of this airport for games, as does the golf team periodically.
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The facility also has a conference room, pilot planning areas, bathrooms and a seating area.
Lambert described himself as a late bloomer, saying he had always had an interest in aviation but did not start flying until he was 65.
“I couldn't afford it when I was young and then when I got to where I could, I was busy,” said Lambert. “Then I got where I had the time and the ability to do it.”
Lambert spoke to several benefits of having more than one airport in the region.
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“I think it's important for general aviation to support people that have planes that want to take off and land and learn how to fly and for training too,” he said. “We get Savannah flight schools up here training because it’s difficult to do that in a busy airport. There's a nationwide shortage for pilots and this is a good way or folks to get hours so they can qualify for airline jobs.”
Claxton
A 30-minute ride from the airfield in Statesboro is the Claxton Evans County Airport, which will see an expansion of its own. There are plans to add 10 hangars there, but that is contingent upon funding. There are 12 individuals on its waitlist.
"We are hoping to get more business from Hyundai and some spinoff business from that, such as suppliers," said Airport Manager Vernon Owens. "We are preparing for growth."
Bryan County
If each of the planned hangars is built and then houses one plane, the then existing regional demand, based on just these three airports' waitlists, would still be for 73 more hangars. According to Martin, t-hangars at the Hinesville airport are 40 feet wide by 30 feet deep and can hold one plane.
An airport study in 2023 revealed 34 registered aircrafts in Bryan County.
The study shows most of the current general aviation travel flows through Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport. As that traffic flow continues to increase, a secondary airport will be needed to divert those flights, according to Addison.
Although a definitive location of the airport has not yet been determined, the study shows a proposed location to be a few miles away from Exit 87 on I-95 Southbound. The study estimates the property would take up more than 300 acres of land.
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Bryan County officials are hoping to add an airport
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