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Federal Aviation Administration awarding $5.6M to Midlands airports

Eight airports in the Midlands will be receiving more than $100K to improve their infrastructure. $32 million awarded statewide.

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.

RELATED: Orangeburg airport aims to fly in more business owners with renovations

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

 

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