The Myrtle Beach International Airport handles more than 1.5 million passenger arrivals and departures per year, and it serves as South Carolina’s third-busiest airport (after Charleston International Airport and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport). But for travelers who have flown into and out of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), the Horry County-owned facility might be best known for its ease of navigation and easy accessibility for those landing in and returning home from the Grand Strand.
Located near the heart of Myrtle Beach, and just a 5 minute drive to Paradise Resort, Myrtle Beach International Airport serves as a true gateway to the Myrtle Beach area for air travelers. Upon arrival, travelers will find the full-service, passenger-friendly facility easy to navigate, and its long list of ground-transportation options — including a range of on-location rental car companies, shuttle services, and Uber and taxi pickup — make getting to their Grand Strand accommodations easy and efficient.
Ten passenger airlines serve Myrtle Beach International, and Myrtle Beach is a focus city for Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines, the latter of which serves a majority of the airport’s passengers. Other airlines serving MYR include United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, American, Porter Airlines, WestJet Encore, Sun Country Airlines and Frontier Airlines. The facility has been an international airport since April 1996, and in August of the same year its international terminal was opened.
Want to become an expert on Myrtle Beach International trivia? Read on for a few fast facts about the airport:
Passengers can fly directly to 50-plus different destinations from MYR, with domestic destinations ranging from as far north as Minneapolis, Minnesota, to as far south as Forth Lauderdale, Florida, and as far west as Denver, Colorado, to as far east as Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Those looking to travel abroad can fly directly to and from Canadian destination Toronto, Ontario.
MYR’s top three destinations are Charlotte, Atlanta and New York’s LaGuardia.
The airport’s runway is 9,503 feet long — which is nearly 1.8 miles.
A grass landing strip near the intersection of current-day Seaboard Street and 10th Avenue North (just across Highway 17 from Myrtle Waves Water Park) served as Myrtle Beach’s first “airport.” It was opened in 1928 in an effort to attract wealthy investors to the area. After more than 10 years of using the makeshift runway, Myrtle Beach began building its first real municipal airport in 1939.
Myrtle Beach International and Myrtle Beach Air Force Base shared the airport’s main runway until 1993, when Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was closed as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process. As a result of this arrangement, civil flights were limited to 30 landings per day.
MYR served as a designated launch-abort site for NASA’s Space Shuttle, but it never had to be used for the purpose.
An airport employee previously owned the airport’s website, flymyrtlebeach.com, operating it as an unofficial airport website. In 2006, airport officials took over website, and a redesigned site was launched in July 2012, along with a new airport logo.
Looking to explore more of the Grand Strand during your own Myrtle Beach area getaway? Enjoy a longer stay here at Paradise Resort.
