Latest news with #AugustaRegionalAirport
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Map shows exodus of private jets from Augusta's small, usually quiet, airport after the Masters
Map shows exodus of private jets from Augusta's small, usually quiet, airport after the Masters Map shows exodus of private jets from Augusta's small, usually quiet, airport after the Masters Augusta's airport goes from sleepy regional airfield to private jet hub every year during the Masters. An aviation tracker shared that there were over 2,100 private flights in and out of Augusta last week. In 2024, an airport executive told Business Insider that Masters Week is "organized chaos." Rory McIlroy became the sixth golfer to complete a career grand slam after winning the Masters in a tense playoff on Sunday — but he wasn't the only person in Augusta under a lot of pressure. During the weeklong tournament, the usually sleepy Augusta Regional Airport deals with nearly five times as many planes as usual. Advertisement On the day of McIlroy's victory, flight tracker Radar Atlas used open-source data to track 229 private jets departing Augusta. Using data from ADS-B Exchange, their map shows an exodus of aircraft from the Georgian city. Since last Monday, Radar Atlas has tracked over 2,100 private flights in and out of the Augusta area — including almost 500 on Wednesday. That's an average of some 300 per day. Lauren Smith, the airport's assistant director of marketing and public relations, previously told Business Insider that the airport typically handles roughly 60 takeoffs and landings a day. "It's organized chaos to us," she said during an interview ahead of last year's tournament. Smith added that Monday is typically the busiest day as fans depart Augusta following the tournament's conclusion. Advertisement On Monday, the airport posted on social media that passengers should give themselves three hours to make their flights, adding, "Mass exodus has begun!" Augusta Regional Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Last week, private jets arrived from as far afield as South Korea and Saudi Arabia — roughly 15-hour flights. RadarAtlas tracked 1,215 unique private jets using a database compiled by Jack Sweeney, the aviation enthusiast who gained fame for his run-ins with Elon Musk. Last week, planes belonging to Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, IBM, and McIlroy were among those to use Augusta Regional Airport. Advertisement During Masters week, the airport shuts down one of its runways to provide parking space for up to 300 planes. Around tournament week, the special ramp fee varies between $125 and $3,000 per day per arrival, depending on the size of the aircraft. However, Augusta Regional Airport also has to deal with commercial flights. Airlines scheduled a record number for this year's tournament. Delta Air Lines operated up to 1,900 seats daily from nine airports and ran a major Masters-themed advertising program at Augusta Regional. American Airlines served Augusta from 10 cities. The airport has to hire more staff for the week, while airlines also send more workers to Augusta. An assistant editor at shared an image on X of a Delta gate agent wearing a green jacket like the one given to Masters champions. Advertisement Once all the private jets have left and airlines return to their regular schedules, airport workers have time to breathe — before they're onto preparing for next year. "As soon as the Masters ends, we are already setting goals and making initiatives and plans for the following Masters," Smith told BI in 2024. Read the original article on Business Insider
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Augusta-area airports turn into private jet parking lots for the Masters each year
Augusta-area airports turn into private jet parking lots for the Masters each year AUGUSTA, Ga. — The Masters has been called a corporate Woodstock, a place to cement relations, entertain clients and make in-roads with future business partners. The skies around Augusta Regional Airport tell a story of private jet demand for the Masters and indicates the strength of the luxury travel market. The tournament has become so popular that Daniel Field, Augusta's general aviation airport, built a tower used once a year to accommodate all the private planes flying in and out during Masters week. Many of them transport players. Will Zalatoris was among the pros traveling in style to the 89th Masters. He also is the latest player to be signed as a Magellan Jets Brand Ambassador, joining Masters champion Dustin Johnson and swing coach Claude Harmon III. The deal for Zalatoris includes hosting unique golf experiences for the company's private clients, displaying the Magellan Jets logo on his golf gear and participating in marketing campaigns. This week, the company estimates it is charter flying 10 percent of the field to and from Augusta. FlexJet, a global leader in private aviation, which operates out of Augusta's Regional Airport as well as Thompson Field, Aiken Field and Daniel Field, reported demand during the Masters rising 30 percent year over year with an increase in early bookings. The company rents Hangar One and staffs it with over 30 people to make sure it is a seamless and enjoyable experience. With each passing year, flying private to the Masters has become more of a status symbol. 'It's a VIP experience and a timesaver,' said D.J. Hanlon, executive vice president of sales. And so once again, private planes are dropping off clients heading to Augusta National, leaving planes parked on runways as if it is a lot for the rich and famous. For the rest of us, the easiest way to make it into Augusta is to fly into the major international airport in Atlanta, then drive 1.5-hours into Augusta. Other options include Columbia, S.C. But even commercial flights have become easier. Delta, an Atlanta-based company that serves as one of the Masters' 'official partners,' beefed up seating capacity to Augusta during the week of the tournament by 15 percent, raising the number of daily seats flying into the event to 1,900. Private has become a popular choice to Daniel Field except for one of those sign of the times: the planes used to transport patrons and players there have outgrown the length of the runway. Sounds like a nice problem to have.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Travel customers weigh in on recent emergency plane evacuation at AGS
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Thousands of patrons will soon be flying into Augusta for The Masters. But there are questions about safety following the incident at Augusta Regional Airport Tuesday. While some at Augusta Regional Airport have already flown in for the big tournament, others are getting ready to fly out for their vacation. We asked passengers if they feel safe to fly following the events from Tuesday morning, and there are mixed reactions. Video from passenger Sean O'Conor shows passengers evacuating the plane after they noticed a haze in the cabin. American Airlines says that haze was caused by a maintenance issue. Bret Shugarts is choosing American Airlines to fly to Rhode Island to see his son. 'It's a little nerve-racking to some degree,' said Shugarts. 'But, I still feel safe getting on. You have to—and it's probably safer than being on the roads out here, right?' The Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating the incident. In a preliminary report, they say along with the smoke, one passenger suffered a minor injury, and refused any medical treatment. Peter Zervos flew into Augusta from New York to attend the big tournament. 'I still feel safe flying. I feel like those are more so anomalies than anything to be majorly concerned about. There's been a lot of stories about aviation over the last few months, but you trust the people that are handling the situation and the pilots,' said Zervos. While some passengers say they still feel safe, others are having second thoughts. 'A little bit, but not really. It's got me a little worried now, because I take two planes, and came here on three planes from American Airlines. Sometimes, the turbulence gets a little rough, and it gets a little scary sometimes,' said Dakota Bazaldua. 'This isn't the only location that's had some issues. Obviously DCA has had several issues, and some other places as well,' Shugarts said. Meanwhile, Augusta Regional Airport is making mass preparations for the influx of visitors—they say part of that preparation is ensuring all customers feel safe to travel in the skies. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
American Airlines passengers evacuate flight on wing of plane after landing in Georgia, video shows
Passengers onboard an American Airlines plane evacuated the aircraft from its wings after smoke was reported in the cabin upon landing in Georgia. Video captured by passenger Sean O'Conor showed travelers carrying their luggage as they were helped down from the wing of the jet Tuesday at Augusta Regional Airport. "It smelled like the brakes were burning or something, the cabin was filled with smoke, and we climbed out on the wing," a voice says in the footage. "It looks like everybody is safe. Welcome to Augusta." "American Eagle Flight 5406, operated by PSA Airlines, with service from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Augusta Regional Airport, experienced a maintenance issue after landing safely in Augusta," American Airlines told Fox News Digital in a statement. "All passengers deplaned and were escorted to the airport terminal. The safety of our customers is our top priority, and we apologize for the inconvenience." Plane Bounces On Tampa Airport Runway While Trying To Land, Video Shows The Federal Aviation Administration told Fox News Digital on Thursday morning that it is investigating the incident. Read On The Fox News App Kite Reportedly Makes Contact With United Flight Attempting To Land At Reagan National Airport "The crew ... reported smoke in the cabin after landing at Augusta Regional Airport in Georgia around 9:50 a.m. local time on Tuesday, April 1," a spokesperson said. "Passengers deplaned the Bombardier CRJ900 on the airfield and were bused to the terminal." Following an inspection of the plane, it was determined that an electrical issue had caused the haze inside the cabin, WJBF reported, citing an airport article source: American Airlines passengers evacuate flight on wing of plane after landing in Georgia, video shows
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'It was really horrifying', passenger on Flight 5406 speaks out following emergency evacuation at AGS
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – We're learning new details following an incident yesterday at Augusta Regional Airport. Several passengers were forced to evacuate a flight after a haze was seen in the cabin—now one of them is speaking out. American Eagle Flight 5406 flew into Augusta Tuesday morning from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. But, passengers weren't expecting what happened as soon as they landed. 'That was really horrifying, terrible, and scary,' said Sean O'Conor. Video taken by O'Conor shows dozens being evacuated after passengers noticed a haze in the cabin. 'We were heading towards the terminal, and then we saw the smoke. The pilot then came on and said, 'Evacuate now!' We all jumped out of our seats, but there was no direction from the flight attendants or the pilot. We just kind of knew what to do—get out of this plane as quick as you can,' said O'Conor. No passengers were harmed, but O'Conor says he and others were not satisfied with the way American Airlines handled the situation. 'Just a little disappointed with American Airlines. There were no representatives, nobody's reached out. Nobody at the terminal, no explanation, no apologies, no compensation,' O'Conor said. We reached out to American Airlines to get that explanation. In a statement, they say the evacuation was required because the plane experienced a maintenance issue shortly after landing. 'I noticed a light haze coming into the cabin, and I could smell it was electrical—I'm an engineer, so I recognized the smell immediately,' said O'Conor. 'We climbed out of the window onto the wing of the plane, and made our way down to the end of the wing of the plane. Then we dropped down onto the tarmac and moved away from the plane.' He says despite this incident, he still feels safe to continue traveling in the air. 'I think it's still a safe way to travel, but I think they need to step up their maintenance because obviously something was going on with this jet. Maybe it was an older model. I don't know what happened, but I still feel safe,' O'Conor added. With thousands expected to fly into the Augusta area over the next few days, American Airlines and Augusta Regional Airport say customer safety is their top priority. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
