James_Jan-Feb_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 72
JetBlue Increased capacity to JFK and BOS.
Delta Added daily service to BOS. Increased service to
DTW and MSP from seasonal to year round.
Allegiant Increased capacity to CVG, LCK, PIT, and
FLL. Added service to BOS and IAD.
Breeze Added service to MSY. Increased capacity to
BDL. Announced service to FLL and CAK.
United Increased capacity to IAD.
Southwest Added service to STL.
All of these additions are evidence that the airlines
remain bullish on SAV as a key market in their system.
And we can expect additional growth in 2026.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
One of the Savannah Airport Commission Chairman
Green’s top priorities is to secure flights from Europe
to SAV, and Ireland in particular. Mirroring efforts by
SEDA, Visit Savannah and Georgia Southern, the airport
is helping build the case for service through outreach
and meeting with air carriers. Direct Service to and
from Dublin would produce tremendous economic development, tourism growth and academic opportunities
for Southeast and Southcentral Georgia.
INTERSTATE-95 INTERCHANGE
The Interchange at Exit 104 on I-95 was built to
serve the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport
in the early 1990s. Since then, the airport has experienced incredible growth. Gulfstream Aerospace, the
city of Pooler and western Chatham County have experienced incredible growth as well.
Naturally, all of this growth has put a strain on the
interchange’s ability to safely and effectively move the
volume of cars that use it. That’s why GDOT is currently working with us to improve this interchange and is
expected to identify the best solution in the near future.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Every five years GDOT prepares an Economic Impact Study for each of Georgia’s 105 public use airports.
The most recent study shows that SAV’s Economic
Impact is $4.2 billion. That is billion with a B. The study
also shows that SAV generates over $170 million in
state and local tax revenues. These numbers demonstrate that the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is a major economic engine, not just for the Southeast Georgia region, but for the entire state of Georgia.
A FUNDING GAP
In 2024 GDOT published a comprehensive capital
improvement program funding analysis for all seven
commercial airports in the state of Georgia, excluding
Atlanta. The study shows an annual funding gap in
excess of $125 million.
This gap has grown over the year since both federal funding programs for airport capital projects have
essentially been flat since 2001. This means the value of
these programs is roughly half of what it originally was.
Georgia has historically been on the low end nationally
in providing capital funding for its commercial airports.
In fact, the study shows Georgia is last in comparison
to the 11 other states included in the study. It is critical
that the Georgia Legislature address this issue or we
will slip further behind our neighboring states when
it comes to maintaining a viable system of airports to
help grow this state’s economy. The legislature should
look at its airports as a critical part of the statewide
transportation infrastructure network, just as it does
highways, railways, and seaports.
When it comes to investing in transportation infrastructure, it is important to remember that an investment in a mile of highway gets you a mile down the road,
while an investment in a mile of runway gets you anywhere in the world.
Greg Kelly is the executive director of the Savannah/Hilton Head
International Airport (SAV). His career began at the airport in
1989 when he was an intern and he held a variety of leadership
positions until becoming executive director in 2014.
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