The Opinion Blog

Airborne Violation

Wednesday's editorial expresses our growing feeling that, after the most recent disclosures, the end of Gov. Sanford's term may be nearing.

Mark, we tried to be there for you.

When you told us you'd been hopscotching across continents for a matter of the heart - blowing off not only us South Carolinians but also those economic developers who wanted to meet about a project amid our state's double-digit unemployment - we told you we were disappointed. But a man's got to do what a man's got to do, even if it makes a fool out of him (and his state).

New design puts airport project on runway

Saturday's editorial praises the apparent progress on the new Myrtle Beach International Airport terminal and the economic benefits it will bring the Grand Strand.

Seven cascading roof sections evoke the image of waves on the ocean, soaring away from a golden concourse that mimics the color of sand.

Friday's presentation of the Myrtle Beach International Airport expansion design before the Community Appearance Board may have been cause for some nervousness amid memories of the $130 million project's downfall there in 2007. After seeing the new designs, however, board Chairman Larry Bragg pronounced the meeting "productive" and "a good first step."

In the future, we'll be glad we expanded the airport

On Sunday, the newspaper editorially congratulated Horry County Council for voting last week to expand passenger capacity at Myrtle Beach International Airport:

Is the struggle over expanding passenger capacity at Myrtle Beach International Airport really over? Expansion disagreement between owner Horry County and the city of Myrtle Beach, the airport's zoning czar, has been part of the political landscape so long that its roots seemed deeply embedded.

Yet with a 10-1 vote last week, Horry County uprooted the dispute as though it were a weed and tossed it on the compost heap of history. Members approved a $130 million current-terminal expansion that will add five gates to the seven already in existence. If the city's Community Appearance Board approves design plans, now being drafted, construction will begin next year and be completed in 2012.

Build MB airport terminal to put people to work

Sunday's editorial notes that there are now two sound economic reasons to build the proposed passenger terminal at Myrtle Beach International Airport:

It is great news that both terminal projects at Myrtle Beach International Airport are progressing as planned, for two reasons: The projects, a $4.5 million general aviation terminal and a $130 million passenger terminal, would increase the airport's usefulness. Even better, this is an especially good time for the Horry County Council, which oversees the county-owned airport, to invest in public works.

Kill the airport authority panel or the terminal gets it

Today's editorial urges Horry County Council to get moving on airport terminal construction right away:

OK, maybe the headline above is too edgy. Maybe we're remiss in worrying that the Horry County Council today could play games with its own administration's proposal to increase passenger capacity on the east side of Myrtle Beach International Airport.

'Inconvenient woman' kicked off Appearance Board

Today's editorial analyzes the Myrtle Beach City Council's firing of Birgit Darby from the city's Community Appearance Board:

To the bitter end of her lengthy service on the Myrtle Beach Community Appearance Board, Birgit Darby insisted that her constitutional free speech rights trumped her obligations as a board member. So she made no secret of her disagreement with the Horry County initiative to expand passenger capacity on the east side of Myrtle Beach International Airport.

Act like an owner, Horry, and airport will remain yours

Today editorial spells out a way for Horry County Council to keep control of Myrtle Beach International Airport:

Horry County Council members seem worried, if not frantic, that an impending regional airport study could wrest control of Myrtle Beach International Airport from county government. An airport regime change, they fear, could derail the county's effort to construct a new passenger terminal on the airport's east side.

This paranoia - which the council could head off if members had the courage to do so - is almost palpable. Consider:

Better airport key to local economic development

In a letter to the editor today, Rick Ott, head construction manager for Myrtle Beach International Airport, explains how modernizing the facility would benefit our communities:

Part two of two

The Myrtle Beach International Airport has an unusual characteristic, in that it has significant spikes in traffic from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. between April and September, with extreme spikes during the weekends. Of the total passenger count, about 65 percent of its passengers are visitors, not residents. That is not the case at the Wilmington, N.C.; Charleston; Florence; or any other airport in South Carolina.

Current MB airport terminal just doesn't work

In a letter to the editor today, an exec for the construction management firm handling terminal expansion at Myrtle Beach International Airport explains why airport owner Horry County needs to build a new passenger terminal:

In January, the M.B. Kahn Company was hired by Horry County to manage the Terminal Capacity Enhancement Plan for the Myrtle Beach International Airport.

An airport is a quality of life issue to a community, and that certainly is the case in Horry County. Residents should be able to fly easily and economically in and out of a nearby airport. Residents of Horry County own this airport; therefore, they sometimes get emotional about the issues. We want to provide correct information on the airport enhancement.

MB needs a better airport terminal

Today's editorial argues that a more efficient passenger terminal should make Myrtle Beach International Airport less expensive for travelers to use:

Slashing per-passenger fees on airlines, as the Horry County Council did this week, alone won't drive down airfares at Myrtle Beach International Airport. Also needed is a passenger terminal that costs less than the current terminal to operate.