In September 2018, the Middle Georgia Regional Airport passed 10,000 enplanements for the year, a major milestone for airports offering passenger service that will lead to significantly increased federal funds. Between Contour Airlines’ service to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and monthly charter flights to the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, MS, 11,206 passengers originated at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport, for a total passenger movement number of 22,281.

“We can’t overstate how exciting this news is for our airport and community,” says Airport Manager Erick D’Leon. “The success of these two flights has been beyond our wildest hopes with both having just started a little more than a year ago. We knew the market for passenger service was strong in our region, but this greatly exceeded our expectations.”

Currently, the Airport receives $150,000 per year in federal funds for capital projects, and passing the 10,000 enplanement mark will make it eligible to receive $1 million per year. Those funds would become available in 2020, at the earliest. With the additional federal funds, the airport will be better positioned to address airfield infrastructure projects, such a the planned runway extension.

This announcement follows several other major strides for the Airport, including Contour Airlines’ announcement they will be offering a second destination and Embraer announcing it bringing heavy maintenance operations for their commercial jet aircraft to one of the large hangar complex.

Beginning December 9, you’ll be able to fly from Middle Georgia Regional Airport to Tampa, FL with Contour Airlines, but you can go ahead and buy your tickets now. At a press conference at the Airport on October 3, Contour Airlines and local leaders announced the new destination to great excitement and applause. You can watch the full announcement by clicking here and see pictures by clicking here.

Embraer, which is the leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats, committed this past summer to a three-year lease agreement with three additional one-year options. Embraer will employ 100 people at the facility, with an estimated $4.5 million in payroll annually. Additionally, they will be investing $1.6 million into the facility and operation.