The initial numbers looked good, and the final numbers look even better for how Augusta Regional Airport fared during Master 2025.
Ken Hinkle, Director of Aircraft Services, provided members of the Aviation Commission with the impact of aircraft traffic on jet fuel sales and broke down the fees versus expenses and operational costs.
Hinkle said one difference this year was the decision to begin parking aircraft on the other side of the runways. That increased the number of aircraft they could accommodate.
The report breaks down operations, which are every takeoff and landing, each day of Masters Week, with Friday recording the highest traffic.
“This year was a record breaker. We beat our 2024 numbers,” said Hinkle. “As of now, 2025 is one of the best years from an operational standpoint. You can see it was a major increase from the previous year.”
The increase in the number of aircraft using the airport resulted in a corresponding increase in the number of gallons of fuel delivered. It is also the highest in the past four years.
Hinkle said the year-over-year results factor into his planning for the next year’s tournament. He said expenses for the week were higher, but the revenue for that one week dwarfs any expenses the airport faces.
During tournament week, a fixed base operator (FBO) is opened on the east side of the airport. It provides private jet passengers with direct access to car services, transporting them to and from the golf course. It also serves as a place for pilots to relax. Hinkle said one challenge has been to find a sponsor for the east side FBO and catering. He said this year they chose Flight Safety International as their sponsor.
“They did a great job. The pilots were engaged. They had TVs, they had everything, all the amenities that you would have at the FBO,” he said. “Plus, we teamed up with Infinity. They wanted to get their car or their vehicle out, and this is just some more transportation that we could use. It was also an upgrade from our golf cart. So, instead of approaching the aircraft on golf carts, we approached the aircraft with QX 80s. Got a lot of good reviews from that.”
There were a few hiccups during the week. Hinkle said for next year, they need to schedule two fuel trucks and two linemen to service Delta Airline and American Airlines. He recommends adding a dedicated cleaning service for the eastern FBO. He wants to determine what equipment and transportation are needed for next year, designate it as an annual request, and provide the information to the procurement department.
“Procurement is extremely stressful because you’re trying to plan the event, and it’s going through two or three bodies to get approved. So, instead, we’ll have an annual bid,” he explained. “It’s approved once or twice, and then it’s well in advance of the Masters. So, by February, we should have all our equipment, and we won’t have to focus on renting or purchasing or procuring any equipment.”
Herbert Judon, Jr., Executive Director of the airport, said the report is much like an after-action review. It shows airport staff what went right, what went wrong, and identifies solutions for the future.
“As a staff, we’ve talked a lot about Masters. To be very candid, we squeeze a lot into a small building. We do realize that if we want to continue to have the mindset of growing during the Masters, we’re going to have to expand our footprint. I have asked staff to start looking at ways to expand the terminal and expand the pavement because we’re almost maxed out right now in terms of what we can handle for Masters, and we do want to keep growing.”
