The Augusta Regional Airport (AGS) will be starting its limited time expansion of direct flights for Masters Week, next month.
Each year airlines consider their reports of traffic to and from Augusta during tournament week and offer direct flights to and from those cities. This year Delta will offer direct flights in relation to Detroit, Boston, Austin, Texas, Orlando, Fla., West Palm Beach, Fla. and both La Guardia and JFK Airports in New York.
“We’re very happy to see Delta has included additional flights this year,” said Linda Smith, communications director at AGS. “Often they just have two or three, but [this year] they have offered several, so it is going to be an extremely busy year for us.”
American Airlines will also be offering straight flights to and from Austin, Boston and La Guardia in New York, as well as Phoenix, Philadelphia, Miami and Chicago.
An average of some 30,000-35,000 travelers pass through AGS during Masters Week, explained Smith, an uptick closer to its typical monthly numbers.
While no statistics are available for how many passengers are flying for business versus for leisure during that week, Smith states that the airport has been pushing its marketing to encourage locals to take more advantage of the direct flight opportunities, especially amid spring break.
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The airport has also recently announced that its expansion and rehabilitation of Terminal Gates 3 and 4 is nearly complete. Last year AGS received $3 million in federal Airport Terminal Grant funds to use toward the project, which entails reconfiguring the gates and installing passenger bridges to eliminate ground boarding.
The airport expects the bridges to be complete, or nearly complete, in time for initial operations on Masters Week, Smith said. She also notes, however, that with only four gates with jet bridges and some flights coinciding with one another, there may still be some ground boarding during golf week.
Smith also advises anyone who plans on traveling that week try to make it to the airport at least two to three hours before their departure.
“We know that we’re considered a small airport,” she said. “However, it’s extremely busy, and we want to make sure everybody makes their flight on time.”
Augusta Regional Airport will offer its additional direct flights from Apr. 8 – 15.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
