This page contains information regarding the various Grants offered by the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission (SCAC) for the development of publicly owned, public use Airports in our State. There are seven types of Airport Development Grants provided to eligible recipients; they are listed by name and the State percentage of total project cost.
Rules for Reimbursing Project Costs Prior to the Grant Execution Date:
Unless specifically recommended by the Executive Director and approved in advance by the Commission, all project costs must be incurred after the execution date of the Airport Development or Aviation Education grant.
Exceptions to this rule include:
Land or avigation easement acquisitions
Airfield facility emergencies not covered by insurance
Project exceptions identified in the relevant section of the FAA’s AIP Handbook
This policy does not prohibit grant amendments for change orders that arise during construction, provided they are communicated with SCAC Airport Development staff in advance and approved by Commission.
AIP State Match Grant (5%) - These grants are associated with the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program (AIP) State match of 90% AIP Grants and follows standards and criteria promulgated in the FAA’s AIP Handbook. These grants are only offered to General Aviation (GA) Airports that are included on the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). They may be used for Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) to include: study, planning, design, and construction as well as some approved equipment purchases. The associated Federal grant(s) must have been issued by the FAA and accepted by the Airport Sponsor in advance of consideration of a State Match Grant. The typical project funding formula is: 90% - FAA / 5% - SCAC / 5% - Local Airport Sponsor. For AIP / AIG – BIL / - ATP Grants issued in Federal Fiscal Years 2025 and 2026 (FFY-25 / FFY-26), the project funding formula is: 95% - FAA / 2.5% - SCAC / 2.5% Local Airport Sponsor.
Terminal Building Development Grant (50%, NTE $500,000) – These grants are for the development of new or replacement Terminal Buildings at NPIAS GA Airports as well as Terminal expansion projects. They can be applied to cover up to 50% of eligible terminal building project costs not otherwise covered by AIP / AIG - BIL or -ATP, not to exceed $500,000. Their award is independent of AIP State Match Grant awards for the same project. These grants are awarded at the discretion of the Aeronautics Commission based on recommendation from the Airport Development Staff.
State - Local Airport Development Grant (60%) - These grants are for publicly owned General Aviation, NPIAS Airports and can be applied for in order to cover capital project elements that may be ineligible or otherwise un-funded by the AIP, but are determined to be in the public interest. They can be applied to certain, site – civil elements of hangar development projects (up to the sub-slab), but not to the construction of the hangar building itself. These grants are awarded at the discretion of the Aeronautics Commission based on recommendation from the Airport Development Staff. The typical project funding formula is: 60% - SCAC / 40% - Local Airport Sponsor.
Non-NPIAS Airport Development Grant (85%) - These grants are for Non-NPIAS, Publicly owned Airports that do not have the benefit of access to the AIP program grant funds available to NPIAS Airports. These funds can be used for Maintenance or Development needs. They can be applied to certain, site – civil elements of hangar development projects, but not to the construction of the hangar building itself. They are awarded at the discretion of the Aeronautics Commission based on recommendation from the Airport Development Staff. The typical project funding formula is: 85% - SCAC / 15% - Local Airport Sponsor.
Secondary Runway Rehabilitation Grant (90%) - Several of our NPIAS General Aviation (GA) Airports in South Carolina were once military airfields constructed to meet the needs of our armed forces during World War II. They were originally constructed with multiple runways and, following the war, were eventually turned over to local governments for civilian use. The FAA does not typically make AIP Grant funds available for projects involving secondary runways at GA Airports. As such, many of these runways have fallen into disrepair due to a lack of maintenance and capital improvement.
The SCAC has developed a program to provide Airport Secondary Runway Rehabilitation Grants. These grants will cover the design and construction of the rehabilitation of a secondary runway based on: priority, current Airport Reference Code (ARC) design standards, and availability of grant funds. They are awarded at the discretion of the Aeronautics Commission based on recommendation from the Airport Development Staff. The typical project funding formula is: 90% - SCAC / 10% - Local Airport Sponsor. A prioritized list of the top ten secondary runways is provided below.
Priority FAAID Airport Project 1 GGE Georgetown County Airport Reconstruct Rwy 11 - 29 2 AND Anderson Regional Airport Rehabilitate Rwy 17 - 35 3 DCM Chester Catawba Regional Airport Reconstruct Rwy 5 - 23 4 GRD Greenwood County Airport Rehabilitate Rwy 5 - 23 5 AIK Aiken Regional Airport Rehabilitate Rwy 1 - 19 6 GMU Greenville Downtown Airport Rehabilitate Rwy 10 - 28 7 BNL Barnwell Regional Airport Rehabilitate Rwy 5 - 23 8 JZI Charleston Executive Airport Rehabilitate Rwy 4 - 22 9 RBW Lowcountry Regional Airport Rehabilitate Rwy 17 - 35 10 CDN Woodward Field Rehabilitate Rwy 14 - 32 Commercial Service Airport Entitlement Grant (100%, NTE $500,000 in a two-State FY period) - Commercial Service Airports receive an annual allotment of Entitlement Funds from the SCAC to pay for development or maintenance expenses. The annual amount is $250,000 and can be carried over one State Fiscal Year (FY) for a maximum amount of $500,000. These funds can be applied as reimbursement for maintenance and repair expenses or applied to airport development projects. They are requested for disbursement using the same forms as other development grant requests.
Additionally, the SCAC provides access to Educational Grants (up to 100%) for the promotion of aviation and aerospace education by education organizations, non-profit organizations with an education mission, and airports. These funds can be used for the purchase for materials and equipment, hardware, software, signage, or supplies that directly support a defined aviation or aerospace educational program. They may not be used for staff salaries and are awarded at the discretion of the Aeronautics Commission.