Myrtle Beach International Airport prepares for holiday weekend travel

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – More than 60,000 people are expected to travel through Myrtle Beach International Airport this Memorial Day weekend.

MYR spokesperson Ryan Betcher said that’s a 23% increase over the same weekend in 2023.

Betcher said the airport is prepared for this amount of people, in large part because the airport has seen an increase in the “normal” number of passengers. He said it’s been a steady increase since early spring, which Betcher credits to airlines increasing their capacities.

According to Betcher, this could be good news for Grand Strand locals.

“It does provide the opportunity for our locals to fly out. We have pretty incredible air service offerings for a market of our size and we always encourage our locals to take advantage of that,” said Betcher.

Betcher also said this year could be the most traveled year for the airport. He said this is due to more airlines moving to the airport, combined with more people wanting to visit the area.

He said this comes as the airport is set to begin an expansion project this summer. According to Betcher, the airport is going to build six more gates to the existing terminal and add 1,200 more parking spots. He said the project is expected to take around 18 months to complete, but he noted that airport-goers shouldn’t expect disruptions or delays.

For those heading to the airport this weekend, Betcher said his advice is the same as it is for all of the busy travel seasons.

“Try to get here at least 2 to 3 hours early. A lot of us that live here, we’re kind of used to coming to the airport, getting through the security checkpoint, [and] finding parking very easy,” Betcher said. “But with the increased travel and tourism and additional flight capacity, there is the potential for some delays.”

Along with arriving early, make sure to check with the airlines for updates on the flight status. Travelers can see those updates on the MYR website.

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