Nearly $22 million worth of upgrades will soon take flight at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport in Macon, highlighted by a uniquely-designed new terminal honoring the area's rich musical tradition.
World famous recording artists, including Little Richard, Otis Redding, the Allman Brothers Band and Jason Aldean, have all lived in and around the city.
After conducting a three-month search, in February 2025, the Macon-Bibb County Commissioners selected Sheridan Construction in Macon to build a one-of-a-kind $13.4 million guitar-shaped terminal building at the airport, located 9 mi. south of town.
According to WMAZ-TV in Macon, County Director of Aviation Doug Faour wants the unique design of the airport terminal to start and end each traveler's visit to the city on a "high note."
"I've been involved with the airport since 2012 and the things that are happening here were dreams … that I never thought would come true," he told the news station. "It is a very important gateway to our community. We look at this project not just as an airport project, but a community project."
Faour added that Middle Georgia Regional Airport is currently in the first phase of a 700-ft. runway extension that would allow bigger planes to land. When completed, the construction will end up expanding the landing strip to 7,100 ft.
More than $5 million from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and an additional $1.8 million from the Macon-Bibb County also will build more hangars, extend East Drive and replace the airport's electrical vault.
"We look to do the electrical vault as soon as possible because we need to get that relocated," Faour said. "We're replacing it because it's old. It's a very important piece of what we do at the airport because it provides all of the air-filled lighting at night and supplies other navigational aids."
In addition, the construction of tee-hangars (enclosed structures designed to hold aircraft in protective storage) and box hangers (built to accommodate larger planes) will meet the need for more space due to the airport's growth.
Plans call for the new hangars to provide room for nearly 20 more airplanes, Faour said.
"We do have a waiting list of pilots (and) aircraft owners that want to bring their airplanes here, and we need room to expand and grow," he added. "It would add a 25 percent increase in the capacity for based aircraft here."
The airport's continuing growth also has led the county to construct a new air traffic control tower, slated for completion late 2025, WMAZ reported.
Extending East Drive is a necessity for Faour's team to gain access to property on the southeast end of the airport that is currently undeveloped. The extension will welcome private development of hangers for pilots looking to construct their own.
"The airport is rapidly changing," he said. "[Macon Mayor Lester Miller] mentioned in a speech that he gave a little over a year ago [that] when you come back to this airport in three to five years, you won't recognize it, and he's 100 percent accurate. We have a lot that's happening so we're very proud of what we're doing."
He told the Macon TV station that he hopes to complete the old terminal's demolition and start construction in May 2025 on the new corporate FBO terminal, adding that all of the airport's projects currently under way are expected to be finished in 2027.
The new airport projects will be paid for by the Macon-Bibb Industrial Authority Fund, which received nearly $4 million from the county's 2018 SPLOST in January, 2025. While it does not solely rely on SPLOST funds, the county is using some of its remaining monies to build new facilities around the area before the SPLOST expires.
