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Hilton Head Island Airport debuts new terminal with TSA checkpoint and first-ever jet bridges
Summary
Airport deputy director Steve Perry said the new Hilton Head Island Airport terminal nearly triples the facility's size, adds a TSA-compliant screening checkpoint and the airport's first jet bridges; officials said FAA and state funds covered the work, not county tax dollars.
On-site at Hilton Head Island Airport, airport deputy director Steve Perry described a newly completed terminal that nearly triples the size of the facility and adds features officials said will improve security and passenger experience.
"I like to say that right now you're standing in the country's newest terminal," Perry said, adding that the project creates a larger, more modern hold room and upgrades baggage and security systems.
The terminal includes a TSA-compliant screening checkpoint — a change from the older Terminal 2, where screening had been accommodated in a hallway after 2001 — and upgraded baggage handling built to modern conveyor standards. Construction also required building a new apron to support jet bridges; Perry said the installation marks the first time the airport has had jet bridges.
Perry described the project's timeline and funding. Design work stretched over about six to seven years, construction took about two years, and the airport relied on FAA and state legislative funding to build the new facility. He told the reporter the airport receives no Beaufort County tax revenue for operations or construction and stated that none of the county's tax dollars were used on the terminal.
"This airport doesn't receive the benefit of any county tax, so we're not using taxpayer money to operate this airport or build this terminal," Perry said, explaining that the airport operates from funds it generates and from grants.
Perry said the work completed represents roughly half of the planned renovation: post-COVID cost increases reduced available funding, allowing construction of this side now while the airport seeks additional funding to bring the old terminal up to the same standard.
The airport aims to reflect Hilton Head Island and Beaufort County in the terminal's design; Perry pointed out local coastal touches, including a floor design that incorporates a native Hilton Head Island flower, intended to give both visitors and residents a sense of place.
Officials invited residents and travelers to use the new terminal and said staff are continuing to pursue funding to finish the remaining work on the old terminal.
