Bryan County leaders making plans to build airport

RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WSAV) – The ever-growing area of Bryan County, and specifically Richmond Hill, is sparking conversation among city and county leaders to give residents the ultimate transportation hub: an airport.

“We get asked a lot, when industry want to come here, do you have an airport?” said Sean Register, the CEO of the Bryan County Development Authority.

He says there is a demand for an airport that supports local industry and private planes.

“Bryan County, we’ve had available land, and we’re looking to expand with our unprecedented growth,” said Register. “We’re the sixth fasting growing county in the nation and the fastest growing county in Georgia.”

The demand, Register says, is mostly coming from small plane owners in and around the area.

“They live in Savannah, or the Savannah metro area, and they’re having to store their aircraft in other neighboring airports,” said Register, “and some of them have to drive up to an hour just to get to their plane.”

Bryan County and Richmond Hill leaders are now taking action to build the non-commercial airport meant for small, private aircraft, approving a $180,000 feasibility study to determine its size and location.

Register says he has received input from pilots and economic developers who have told him south Bryan County is the perfect fit for an airport, considering its growth and space.

“We would use that as one more attribute to use for economic development, but this would serve the neighboring counties also, and we’re not replacing the Savannah airport in any way shape or form.”

Plans for the airport are still in the very early stages. Register says the study is in the second of two phases, and it will take six to 12 months for the results.