June 23, 2020
Located about a half-hour drive south of Charlotte, NC, the Rock Hill (York County) Airport-Bryant Field (UZA) in South Carolina has grown to become an important hub for business aircraft operators. City leaders recently approved a 35-year lease agreement for more hangar space to attract more users to the field.
The Rock Hill Herald reported the contract entails at least 24 new T-hangars and five small box hangars to address what airport manager Steve Gould termed “a very deficient amount of hangar space [currently] available.”
Construction is expected to take about 18 months following the lease signing, with the hangars reverting to city ownership upon fulfillment of the lease. Gould added the city-managed airport is already looking at further expansion plans down the road to serve area operators and companies based at nearby Aspen Business Park.
“Having additional aircraft based at the airport and continuing to utilize it and continue to move as a higher usage, we continue to generate more revenue,” he said.
According to AirNav.com, UZA averaged 77 operations day through September 2019. The most recent economic impact study by the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission found the airport contributed $40.5 million in annual economic activity.
Airport officials and local city and county leaders are looking to business aviation to further grow the airport and bolster the local economy, with a 1,000-foot expansion to UZA’s existing 5,500-foot runway 2/20 also under consideration to serve larger business jets.
“One of the things we’re trying to do is attract aircraft, keep them housed here with these type hangars,” said Rock Hill City Councilman Jim Reno. The Carolina Panthers football team, which announced in April its plans to relocate its headquarters and practice facility to the Rock Hill area, is another key driver for the airport’s growth.