Myrtle Beach International Airport is located in South Carolina, USA. It ranks among the top four airports in state. The airport, which is currently owned by the Department of Airports of Horry County, was an air force base prior to 1993.
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A new passenger terminal was inaugurated at the airport on 2 April 2013, built at a cost of approximately $118m.
Construction of the new terminal began during the second half of 2010. There was an undue delay in the completion of the project, owing to a number of reasons, wich include a disagreement between Horry County and Myrtle Beach, Hurricane Sandy delaying the supply of some construction materials, as well as a chief supplier becoming bankrupt.
Myrtle Beach Airport currently offers non-stop services to 28 locations. The new terminal will lead to an increase in both the number of flights and destinations.
The terminal project created around 400 jobs, which was of great significance to the region of Horry County, where the rate of unemployment is around 12%.
Myrtle Beach airport’s new terminal design and features
The new terminal encompasses an area of 274,000ft² and has been built to address the growing passenger traffic at the airport. The terminal building is made up of 39,500ft² of glass, providing transparent interiors at various key spots.
The new terminal has led to a two-fold rise in the entire area of the airport, and it has added another six passenger gates to the already present seven. The project also encompasses a larger waiting area for passengers, as well as a lobby. In addition, the new terminal premises offer many new shops and restaurants.
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Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR, KMYR), United States of America
Myrtle Beach International Airport is situated around three miles from Myrtle Beach in Horry County, South Carolina, USA. The airport is a former air force base (closed in 1993) that is now owned by the county (Horry County Department of Airports) and provides air services to the immediate area including supporting an expanding tourist industry (US Airways is one of its largest carriers but it also has a very large general aviation usage).
Restaurants Steak & Shake and Nacho Hippo are included at the new terminal, and are located close to the arrival gates. The lower level of the terminal has a café, specifically for the passengers who are yet to go for the security check.
The latest terminal offers an increased number of common check-in kiosks, which can be used by all passengers boarding for any airline. Previously, passengers had to queue at specific airline kiosks.
Baggage handling system and security at Myrtle Beach airport terminal
The new terminal is installed with a baggage handling system with outbound and inbound bag belts. The spacious terminal has also enabled for provision of more space for a baggage security system, which simplifies things not for both the travellers and security personnel.
The automatic security system effectively replaces the previous manual system. Conveyor belts move the checked bags through screening machines, in the new automatic security system, which facilitates the personnel in focusing on other security issues. Security officials were compelled to move the baggage by themselves in the manual system. The terminal also features L-3 explosive detection systems.
Construction and contractors involved with the new terminal
The chief contractor for the new terminal project was M.B. Kahn, appointed as project manager. The construction company divided the contract into several fragments, so that the smaller contractors in the region also became eligible to get involved in the project. Additionally, M. B. Kahn enabled participation of some small businesses in the project, by educating them on the varied facets of the project.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) carried out an inspection of the terminal in October 2012 and subsequently certified that all the 500,000 man hours of the project have been without any accidents.
