Myrtle Beach International Airport primed for $10M in federal aid to expand concourse

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Federal officials have announced $10 million in aid for Myrtle Beach International Airport’s planned concourse expansion.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday included the proposal in a list of funding priorities through its airport terminal program. The FAA is awarding $970 million to 114 airports in 44 states and three U.S. territories.

“This project funds the structural elements of the Concourse A expansion project, which is a two-level, six‐gate expansion to meet existing and future demand,” a funding description reads.

Airport officials announced the expansion plan last spring. Once complete, it would bring the number of gates to 18, allowing the facility to keep pace with growth.

A May 2023 airport application for its passenger facility charge provides more details on the expansion. That $4.50 per-person charge currently in place would generate $107 million between 2029 and 2039.

The 56,000-square-foot expansion of the airport’s concourse includes additional power capacity and the relocation of utilities.

Additional airport parking was completed in October, doubling the size of the cell phone waiting lot and adding 450 spaces for long-term parking. The design for an additional 1,500 spaces for economy credit card parking is complete and up for bids in 2024.

The terminal expansion is currently in the pre-construction phase, with groundbreaking expected in the spring.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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