Starkville’s George M. Bryan Airport is set to receive $4.5 million in federal funding that will go toward building a new, larger terminal that will provide an updated environment for pilots and their passengers.
February 27, the Federal Aviation Administration announced its selections for its 2023 Airport Terminal Program. The George M. Bryan Airport was chosen for the program and is planning to use the funding to build a larger terminal and extend its runway.
Mayor Lynn Spruill said that the new terminal will give airport travelers a better impression when visiting the city.
“It’s just a much more user-friendly, customer-friendly environment,” Spruill said. “It puts a much better foot forward for our city. It’s part of that first-impression image that we want to convey to our alumni, to our business partners and to our prospective business owners.”
Airport director Rodney Lincoln said that the current airport terminal is about 1,100 square feet. The new terminal will have two floors and extend over 11,000 square feet.
It will also have more office space for airport staff and more waiting room for travelers, which will be especially useful in the event of inclement weather.
Airport operations manager Rusty Bouchillon said that FAA pilots are required to rest for a period of time between flights. The current terminal has a room for pilots to rest, but it only seats two pilots at a time. The new terminal will have more space for pilots to rest and prepare for their upcoming flights.
Many of MSU’s athletic teams fly through George M. Bryan Airport. Bouchillon said that the new terminal will make it easier for charter companies to screen athletes before boarding the plane.
“With a new terminal, it’s gonna come in through the front door, on the street side and then go straight through,” Bouchillon said. “They’ll be checked out as they’re walking out the back door on the runway side and go get on the plane.”
Currently, observers must look through a chain link fence to view what happens on the runway. The airport will build an observation area on the second floor that will be available for the public to watch aircrafts.
Director Lincoln said that the $4.5 million in federal funding will cover over half the cost of the new terminal. The airport plans to apply for additional funding next year.
In addition to the new terminal, the airport will add 1,000 feet of runway space to the southern end of the existing runway, giving pilots more space to land their aircraft.
Lincoln said that the airport currently has a “displaced threshold” on the north side due to buildings near the runway. This has decreased the amount of runway space available to pilots. With the extension, the airport will be able to accommodate larger planes.
Lincoln said that the airport will also be constructing a hangar for local Starkville businesses to store their aircraft. The new hangar will give the businesses a private location to store their aircraft besides the airport’s community hangar.
George M. Bryan Airport is frequently used by businesses, charter companies and pilots of private single-engine planes. MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory and the Circle S Aviation flight school both use the airport’s runway. 
Lincoln said that the airport renovations will likely increase the number of travelers coming into the airport.
“Once all these corporate pilots find out about this and see it and our charter services and what have you, they will want to come back,” Lincoln said.
Funding for the FAA Airport Terminal Program comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which Congress passed in 2021. The legislation provides federal funding to improve public transportation, improve infrastructure and make infrastructure more environmentally friendly and resilient in the face of climate change.

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Caleb Bowman | The Reflector

The runway currently faces a restriction of runway space. The runway extension will allow larger planes to land at the airport.