Charleston International officials considering expansion to meet growing business

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Changes could be coming to the Charleston International Airport soon, including expansion and new airlines. Some of those changes could include a new terminal.

The airport now features 13 airlines, is experiencing passenger numbers flirt with record highs, and has seen direct flights triple since COVID-19. Airport officials say expansion is unavoidable but say growth management is crucial.

“We have more carriers calling on Charleston and our airport than any other airport in the country,” says Charleston International Airport CEO Elliott Summey. “Growth is great, we certainly have to make sure we manage it correctly.”

Charleston International Airport and the Lowcountry are attracting more flights, passengers, and airlines than ever. The latest airline to call Charleston home is Spirit Airlines. The company’s Vice President of Network Planning, John Kirby, says they had Charleston on their radar for years.

“We saw a big population, we saw more buying power than in the past, and we just thought that the time was right,” says Kirby. “We probably would’ve been here sooner if not for COVID-19.”

As the airport’s airlines expand and passenger numbers continue to grow, Summey says Charleston International’s footprint will have to change too.

“We’re going to have to expand,” says Summey. “We’re in the process of going to the federal government and to the state legislature looking for grants for money.”

Some expansion projects are already taking place, including new temporary terminals, curbside luggage drop-off, and more than five hundred new seats added to both concourses. Summey says it’s just the beginning of what’s likely to come.

“Then build our new concourse out to the east; this will be a six-gate concourse,” says Summey. “We’ll be expanding our ticket hall, doubling its size, and then building a brand-new parking garage.”

The new parking garage will be the largest in South Carolina. Summey says it’s about making Charleston International and the Lowcountry the best and most efficient possible.

“With all of our airlines, we look to them as partners,” says Summey. “And not only do we want to bring them here, but we want to grow them here.”

Summey says passengers should continue to expect improvements and expansion projects when passing through the airport.