Motorists heading for Augusta Regional Airport notice the start of new development inside the airport property along the Doug Barnard Parkway fence line.
Heavy equipment is being used to prepare for the construction of additional apron space and a new ramp.
“You’re seeing a lot of dirt, that’s for sure,” Elizabeth Giles, Senior Construction Project Manager, told ABD. “We are doing the initial excavating and undercutting of dirt, because we do have to drop the elevation to build the new ramp and apron space. And the new ramp and apron space is N2 and N3, which will tie into our existing N1 ramp. That’s going to give a lot of parking.”
That additional parking space for private aircraft will be especially beneficial for Masters Week traffic in the future. Kenneth Hinkle, the airport’s Director of Aviation Services, said they were able to park 1,950 planes over the course of the 2025 tournament and associated events.
“With Masters and the demands that we have, I know it’s just two weeks out of the year, but we always, always are running out of parking areas, and this gives us more space for that,” explained Giles. “We will get use of it the whole entire year when it’s not being used for Masters. So, it’s definitely a benefit. More pavement is always a good thing in an airport.”
In addition to the new apron and ramp space, work is underway on the construction of a private hangar that is being built on airport property. With the code name “Project Green Jacket,” the work is being done with private funds, and a dollar amount is not yet available.
“It looks bigger than it is, but there is a lot of dirt coming out, and that’s what everyone’s seeing right now. So, it’s an exciting time,” said Giles. “It also allows us to develop on the private side and allow for more hangars and private development to come in, which grows the airport.”
The new projects come at a time when leaders continue talks to bring a third carrier to provide service at the airport. The hope is to attract a carrier that services routes to the Midwest, such as Chicago.
“If you build it, they will come,” said Giles. “I think anytime you see growth, it makes it more incentivizing for other people to come. And that’s what we’re doing with all of these projects. We’re creating more taxiways, more ramp space, more infrastructure, such as the checkpoint. We’ll be starting parking projects (for vehicles) soon. We’re building for the growth that we expect.”
Progress is also being made on a project to help passengers get through security more quickly. Construction is continuing on additional security checkpoint lanes for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). It will add two lanes to the existing two lanes. The airport is already approved for equipment to make one of the new lanes operational and anticipates getting equipment for the fourth lane in the future.
“Obviously, we’re hitting some weather. We should be pouring concrete out there today, but the rain had a different plan,” Giles observed. “We are still moving forward and hoping to have lanes open by Masters. We’re very excited about that. It’s going to have a huge impact on passengers when they come into the airport.”
The work is being funded by grants from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airport received an Airport Terminal Program (ATP) grant of $4 million and a $1 million Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG).
Giles said they hope to have the new security checkpoints operational by Masters 2026, even if construction is not complete. Much like they did with the Gates 3 and 4 expansions. Target completion is June 2026.
