Airport Commission Timeline

• 1938: The Malcolm B. McKinnon Airport, named for the late county commission chairman, was opened on St. Simons Island.
• 1943: The U.S. Navy developed a blimp base at “Glynco” on the mainland. Aircraft/radar-training was added in the early 1950s.
• 1971-74: Delta Air Lines offered air service at the Glynco Naval Air Station under a civilian/military joint use agreement.
• April 1973: Glynco NAS was declared surplus and was scheduled for decommissioning in 1974.
• 1974: A 19-member steering committee was formed to coordinate and plan the conversion from military to civilian use. The committee included: Chairman Ben T. Slade III, Dr. E.R. Jennings, Bernie Barnard, Frank DeLoach, Joe Isenberg, A.W. Jones Jr., Hugh Langford, Josephine Wilkes, Jack Lissner, Joe Roberts, Rev. E.C. Tillman, Tom Morris, Richard Heller, Wright Parker, Mack Mattingly, Jack Warren, Ken Tollison, Dr. John Teel, and Fred Earl Wages. Gordon R. Davis Jr. was hired as Glynco reuse coordinator.
• April 30,1975: Glynco opened as a civilian airport. The federal government deeded the property to Glynn County on July 1, 1975. During the same year, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center was located on adjacent Glynco property.
• December 18, 1980: The Glynn County Airport Commission was established as a county agency to operate and develop the Brunswick airport, as well as the Malcolm B. McKinnon Airport.
• June 1, 1981: Atlantic Southeast Airlines began air service to Atlanta.
• FY 1989: Glynn County taxpayers contributed $280,000 to the Glynn County Airport Commission budget. In FY 1990, this contribution was reduced to $14,300. Since 1991, the Airport Commission has been financially independent.
• August 1990: An airline agreement was executed with CCAir for service to Charlotte.
• March 1991: The Airport Commission accepted an FAA grant of $125,400 for an airport noise study at the Brunswick Airport.
• April 5, 1991: Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 2311 crashed. CCAir terminated service to Charlotte.
• January 1992: The current Gulfstream facility at Glynco was leased to Georgia Pacific.
• May 3, 1992: The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds performed at the Brunswick airport.
• July 1, 1992: American Eagle signed an airline agreement for service to Raleigh.
• February 1993: American Eagle terminated service to Raleigh.
• August 1994: The Airport Commission accepted a federal grant to resurface the entire runway and taxiways at the Brunswick airport at a project cost of $1.5 million.
• November 1994: The Glynn County Board of Commissioners approved the Airport Master Plan dated December 1992, for incorporation into the county’s Comprehensive Master Plan. The county commissioners also voted to change the Airport Commission appointment process.
• 1997: Gulfstream Aerospace increased employment at the Brunswick airport from 87 to 130 and began fitting out interiors of G-IV aircraft.
• 2003: The name of the Brunswick airport was changed from Glynco Jetport to Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. Malcolm B. McKinnon Airport was renamed McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport.
• June 2005: The Airport Commission dedicated a new $10 million airport terminal at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport.
• 2009-10: The McKinnon concrete parking ramp was completely replaced. The $6 million project was made possible by a federal grant as part of the 2009 stimulus program for shovel-ready projects.
• 2010: Brunswick airport received a major drainage overhaul thanks to a $2.99 million grant from the FAA.
• December 2010: ASA and ExpressJet merged, and the airline serving Brunswick took the name ExpressJet, The Delta Connection.
• September 2011: The FAA granted the Airport Commission $1.35 million for expansion of the general aviation area at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport. A $500,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation went to McKinnon airport to replace a fence, build a service road, and expand the safety area at the north end of the long runway to meet FAA requirements.
• October 2012: Gulfstream announced plans to increase employment by 20 percent, or 35 new jobs.