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Charleston International Airport


MikesLogic

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

AirTran Airways flew its first load of passengers into Charleston on Thursday afternoon. With average roundtrip fares around $181, the Orlando, Fla.-based carrier promises to pull Charleston ticket prices down and save local travelers millions. From its Atlanta hub, AirTran flies to 61 cities.

Charleston welcomes AirTran

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I've read this board off and on a lot over the years. I finally registered to ask this compelling and vital question which has bothered me greatly:

Why is it called Charleston International Airport? What international flights originate or terminate there?

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I'm assuming those huge Air Force cargo jets flying in and out of there go to other countries, which would be why it's an International Airport. I'm also assuming there is International Air Freight that moves in and out of there to augment the activities done at the Port.

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The C-17's are at the nearby Charleston Air Force Base. So, that's different.

I work in global logistics, there are no int'l cargo flights originating or terminating at CHS that I am aware of. Airfreight coming to Charleston from overseas (or leaving from CHS) would generally use Atlanta, with the rest covered by truck.

I guess there could be, or have been, some flight to Bermuda or the Caribbean.

I'm assuming those huge Air Force cargo jets flying in and out of there go to other countries, which would be why it's an International Airport. I'm also assuming there is International Air Freight that moves in and out of there to augment the activities done at the Port.
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the Airport and the Air Force Base share the airfield. Nevertheless, according to this document here

there are three "International" designated airports in SC.. Charleston, GSP, and Columbia. This same documents also states that there are some "unofficial" international airports (ie airports who just put the word international in their name). Apparently, there is no law preventing this.

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the Airport and the Air Force Base share the airfield. Nevertheless, according to this document here

there are three "International" designated airports in SC.. Charleston, GSP, and Columbia. This same documents also states that there are some "unofficial" international airports (ie airports who just put the word international in their name). Apparently, there is no law preventing this.

I never knew that Columbia's airport had the "international" designation. I have always heard it associated with Greenville and Charleston, but never Columbia ("Columbia Metropolitan Airport").

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The name of the airport has nothing to do with whether or not it is a desgnated international airport per the FAA. As noted above, there a several "international" airports whose name dosen't reflect it and there are some airports with interntaional in their names that are not designated as such.

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To be an international airport you just need customs. Usually flights will conect out of larger airports.

Precisely. You have to have a US Customs and Border Patrol office that is staffed with officers and what not. Plus, it helps to be a FTZ (Foreign Trade Zone) as well.

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  • 1 month later...

It seems that AirTran is really helping the airport with increasing numbers of passengers and providing competition to the old carriers such as Delta. According to the article link below, the airport authority recently posted figures through June, showing 111,100 outbound fliers last month, an increase of 10,788 passengers compared with May, and a 15,399 jump compared with April. With figures expected to hold steady or grow, that means roughly 500 more people a day are either flying in or out of the airport. In June 2006, there were 23,113 fewer passengers flying out of the Charleston airport than in June of this year.

AirTran lifting airport passenger numbers, lowering ticket prices

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've seen some international flights come into Charleston every now and then. It definitely has to be the customs that gives it that title. There are no regular interval international flights to or from Charleston that I know of.
Mike, meant to repond to this earlier. True, there are no regular flights to or from Chas, but there are some seasonal flights to the Bahamas and Bermuda each year that I'm aware of. Occassionally, int'l flights from Europe land in Chas if Atlanta or Miami has to much traffic or if they have terrible weather. The Concorde made several stops in Chas, and Air France has landed its Boeing 747 a few times there each year.

On a different subject, "garage condos" are planned to be built near the airport. Airport Garages Inc is planning for a 210-unit private garage complex near I-526. The facility will offer units ranging in size from a 12-by-24-foot unit that will house a single car to a 18-by-50 unit that can hold RVs, boats or several cars. Prices range from $39,000 to $109,000. One of the big draws for the company in the Charleston area was the proximity to Kiawah and Seabrook islands. Another huge draw was Chas' business community presence.

Garage condos take off near Charleston airport

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  • 3 months later...

The Air Force, which owns the two runways at Charleston International, plans to tear both up in the next few years and rebuild them from scratch, a job estimated to cost $80 million. Airport officials said the refurbishment is the perfect time to stretch the shorter strip to 9,000 feet from 7,000 and the longer one to 10,500 feet from 9,000.

Economic development officials said a runway of 10,000 feet or more is almost essential to landing another major aerospace manufacturer such as the two suppliers

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  • 2 years later...

And by this time, it should be known that CHS, along with GSP, has landed Southwest Airlines with service set to begin within the year. The decision should have been a no-brainer for Southwest, given how large of a tourist destination Charleston is. I just hope the locals will support Southwest and not ditch it for the legacy carriers who will lower their fares to compete.

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  • 5 months later...

And by this time, it should be known that CHS, along with GSP, has landed Southwest Airlines with service set to begin within the year. The decision should have been a no-brainer for Southwest, given how large of a tourist destination Charleston is. I just hope the locals will support Southwest and not ditch it for the legacy carriers who will lower their fares to compete.

I agree, and hope folks remember how they jacked up prices as soon as Air Tran left. One thing that concerns me is while GSP announced a 100 million addition after SW made their decision to start service there, we've seen no movement on CHS's part to accommodate SW. I wonder it Charleston realizes what will happen to it's passenger traffic. I hope they don't blow this.

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