COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding nearly three-billion dollars to fix the infrastructure for airports around the country. The agency is allocating $32M for 46 airports in South Carolina.
According to the FAA: "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $15 billion for airport-related projects as defined under the existing Airport Improvement Grant and Passenger Facility Charge criteria. The money can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects."
"We are really thankful that we’re receiving government money," said George Roberts, the Manager of Lee County Airport.
Lee County will be receiving $110-thousand from the FAA. Roberts said the funds will be used to increase the safety for a helicopter and single and twin-engine planes; which are also used for crop dusting in the county.
"We’ll be putting a ten foot wildlife fence around the airport and that well help us, to keep the deer population and others off the airport for safety," Roberts said.
He explains, the funds will help with the 15-hundred flights they have each year. Roberts said on a good day, there will be about 30 flights that come in and out of the airport.
"We are a poor county," Roberts said. "We have just a single airport, so that money is really going to go to good causes."
Lee County is one of eight airports in the Midlands to be awarded the funds.
- Lee County Airport: $110,000
- Lexington County Airport (Pelion): $159,000
- Fairfield County Airport: $159,000
- Santee Cooper Regional Airport: $159,000
- Sumter Airport-SMS: $295,000
- Jim Hamilton-Owens: $295,000
- Orangeburg Municipal Airport: $295,000
- Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE): $4,177,094
According to the Director of Marketing for the airport, Kim Crafton, the funds will be used for a variety of things including: "the completion of the ticketing lobby renovation in 2022 $2M (Part of CAEs growth plan to receive additional legacy carrier operations and new carriers into the market).
Rehabilitation of the Commercial Terminal Apron in 2022 $4M (To Provide Commercial aircraft parking capacity). Design of modifications to the taxiway system to receive larger cargo aircraft – 2023 Design $1M; 2024 Construction Phase 1 $10M (To keep up with UPS’ plans to transition to 747-8 Aircraft)."
Crafton said the additional infrastructure bill funding will supplement planned FAA entitlement funding and allow the airport to accelerate it's development program.
Here is the list of all 46 airports receiving funds:
Airport Name, City, Funding Received
Aiken Regional, Aiken, $110,000
Allendale County, Allendale, $110,000
Anderson Regional, Anderson, $295,000
Barnwell Regional, Barnwell, $159,000
Beaufort County, Beaufort, $159,000
Marlboro County Jetport - HE Avent Field, Bennettsville, $110,000
Lee County-Butters Field, Bishopville, $110,000
Woodward Field, Camden, $159,000
Charleston AFB/International, Charleston, $7,069,697
Charleston Executive, Charleston, $295,000
Cheraw Municipal/Lynch Bellinger Field, Cheraw, $110,000
Chester Catawba Regional, Chester, $159,000
Oconee County Regional, Clemson, $295,000
Columbia Metropolitan, Columbia, $4,177,094
Jim Hamilton LB Owens, Columbia, $295,000
Conway-Horry County, Conway, $159,000
Darlington County Darlington, Darlington, $110,000
Florence Regional, Florence, $1,027,802
Georgetown County, Georgetown, $295,000
Greenville Downtown, Greenville, $763,000
Donaldson Field, Greenville, $110,000
Greenwood County, Greenwood, $159,000
Greenville Spartanburg International, Greer, $5,299,452
Hartsville Regional, Hartsville, $159,000
Hilton Head, Hilton Head Island, $1,426,884
Williamsburg Regional, Kingstree, $110,000
Lancaster County-McWhirter Field, Lancaster, $159,000
Laurens County, Laurens, $159,000
Santee Cooper Regional, Manning, $159,000
Marion County, Marion, $110,000
Berkeley County, Moncks Corner, $159,000
Mt Pleasant Regional-Faison Field, Mount Pleasant, $159,000
Myrtle Beach International, Myrtle Beach, $5,148,568
Grand Strand, North Myrtle Beach, $295,000
Orangeburg Municipal, Orangeburg, $295,000
Pageland, Pageland, $110,000
Lexington County, Pelion, $159,000
Pickens County, Pickens, $295,000
Ridgeland-Claude Dean, Ridgeland, $159,000
Rock Hill/York County/Bryant Field, Rock Hill, $295,000
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial/Simpson, Spartanburg, $295,000
Summerville, Summerville, $159,000
Sumter, Sumter, $295,000
Union County, Troy Shelton Field, Union, $110,000
Lowcountry Regional, Walterboro, $159,000
Fairfield County, Winnsboro, $159,000
Total: $32,070,497.00