The $348 million parking expansion at Charleston International is the first stop in the airport’s “flight path to the future” that includes more than $1 billion in capital projects over the next several years.
That was among the messages for the roughly 400 hospitality and travel industry representatives who attended the inaugural “State of the Airport” event on Oct. 29.
Charleston County Aviation Authority CEO Elliott Summey said CHS has “truly become South Carolina’s airport.” He cited passenger data showing travelers drive up to 200 miles to catch a direct flight.
“Every day we have more passengers come through Charleston International Airport than from Myrtle Beach and Columbia’s airports combined,” Summey said in his address.
The population of the greater Charleston area is projected to grow to more than 1 million residents by 2030. Summey said the airport authority needs to play a role in encouraging economic development to attract more industrial jobs and to maintain the “robust air service that visitors and residents rely on.” He said CHS needs more gates to meet the demand.
In 2019, CHS saw 4.3 million passengers and last year it set a record of 6.1 million. If the airport had more space for aircraft, Summey estimated the traffic figure could rise to 8 million to 10 million.
Charleston International continues to see growth in its passenger numbers and in the expansion of flight options for travelers.
Work is now underway on the $348 million parking garage, a three-year endeavor that kicks off the next phase of expansion projects that include adding more overnight aircraft parking, another concourse, a new baggage-handling system and energy plant upgrades.
Charleston International Airport’s 20-year plan calls for the construction of “Concourse C,” a seven-gate expansion shown in blue to the left of the passenger terminal.
New restaurants are being built out, too.
The parking expansion is a top priority, as capacity can reach 98 percent during peak periods.
“We have to prepare for that to increase as we add more gates and service,” Summey said.
Improvements are also slated for Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island and Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, which the aviation authority oversees.
Victory = sweet
A Kiawah Island Golf Resort pastry chef not only made an appearance on the Food Network‘s “Halloween Wars,” bakeoff show. The Scream of the Crop her team concocted was crowned as the Season 14 champion.
Sarah Arnold, a pastry sous chef at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island, is now a winning contestant on Food Network’s Halloween Wars cooking show.
“It is the most rewarding thing to be able to push yourself and see what you’re capable of,” said contestant Sarah Arnold, who works at The Sanctuary hotel. “It was the best experience.”
Sarah Arnold (left) of Kiawah Island Golf Resort worked with Kyle Miller and Sarah Blostein to win the 14th season of Halloween Wars on the Food Network.
The show brings together teams of cake decorators, candymakers and pumpkin carvers who start off as strangers before collaborating to create sweet works of horror. The finale aired Oct. 25.
Each week the teams were given new challenges to combine cake, pumpkins and sugar into one display. Teammates Kyle Miller, a previous champion, and Canadian pumpkin carver Sarah Blostein helped lead the team to victory.
One of the tasks was based on a monster transformation, so they created a rodeo cowboy that transformed into Nuckelavee, a demonic mythical sea creature.
“It was interesting to see how different minds work because we all look at the challenge from different perspectives based on our style and expertise,” she said.
It wasn’t Arnold’s TV debut. In 2022, she was a contestant on the Food Network’s “Holiday Wars” baking show. Since then, Arnold said she’s gained more confidence and skill in her craft.
A Delta Air Lines passenger talks with an agent in early August, when a power outage crippled the carrier’s booking and communications systems.
Refund, ASAP
Travelers caught up in the airline cancellations earlier this year, between the global technology outage and hurricanes, know that getting a customer service representative on the phone for a compensation claim can be difficult.
The process just got easier. U.S. carriers are now required to issue automatic refunds for tickets and other flight-related expenses to passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed.
The policy was proposed by the Department of Transportation in April as a way to expedite the reimbursement process and increase airline transparency.
DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a post on X that the change went into effect Monday and airlines should provide prompt cash refunds “without headaches or haggling.”
The policy states that reimbursements must be processed within seven days for credit card purchases and 20 days for other payment methods. Airlines are not allowed to substitute payments with vouchers or other forms of compensation unless requested by the passenger.
