The surprising military origins of a South Carolina travel hub
In short: Before it was a bustling international gateway, Myrtle Beach International Airport was a piece of strategic military infrastructure. From a shared runway with an Air Force base to a designated—though never used—Space Shuttle launch site, the history of this airport is a saga of shifting borders and federal transfers.
The foundation of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) lies in the legacy of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. In 1948, the federal government transferred property from the base to the local area via the Surplus Property Act. While the City of Myrtle Beach initially declined to use the site for an airport, funds from the property were earmarked for aviation use. Between 1958 and 1976, these resources supported the Horry County Jetport in Crescent Beach, which eventually moved to the northeast part of the base following an agreement for joint civilian and military operations.
The relationship between civil and military aviation was deeply intertwined until the early 1990s. Until 1993, the airport and the Air Force base shared the main runway, a constraint that limited civil operations to just 30 landings per day. This bottleneck eventually spurred a local movement to develop a dedicated facility. Following the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision, the Air Force closed the base in 1993, and the runway and flight line were transferred to the Horry County Department of Airports.
The airport's evolution has been marked by both expansion and volatility. It transitioned to an international airport on April 1, 1996, introducing a terminal design inspired by the local beach, featuring a palm tree and a pane window. While the airport has seen major carriers like American Eagle and even the headquarters of Hooters Air, it has also faced significant disruptions, such as the 2012 bankruptcy of Direct Air, which caused a 16% decline in passenger traffic. Today, the airport continues to grow, with a $93.5 million renovation project completed in late 2025 to expand terminal capacity.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Myrtle Beach International Airport
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