Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport’s extra parking plan makes headway

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Due to an increase in passenger traffic levels, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is moving forward with plans to add a third parking garage to its facilities.

GSP is now reaching approximately 95% of its 2019 passenger traffic levels, said Tiffany Cherry, GSP communications manager.

“Airport staff are now forecasting that GSP should be fully back to our record-breaking 2019 passenger traffic levels in early to mid-2024,” she added. “Parking and rental car demand have also increased as passenger traffic continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic.”

Currently, on certain days of the week, both existing parking garages reach full capacity, she said. At the March 27 airport commission meeting, the commission airport management the go-ahead to revisit plans to construct a new parking garage and consolidated rental car facility at GSP.

The construction of a new parking facility was originally slated for fall 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cherry said.  The commission’s decision to move forward with exploring a new parking garage and consolidated rental car facility is the first step in progressing this project since 2020.

As more information is available, the project will be presented to the commission for consideration to proceed with future phases of the project.

The new parking garage follows a recent announcement of an additional airline making its way to GSP this summer: Avelo Airlines’ new nonstop service from GSP to Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN) and Orlando International Airport (MCO).

If the commission decides to move forward with the project in 2023, then construction is expected to begin in 2024, with an estimated two-year completion timeframe, Cherry said.

LS3P Architects is the architect of record and will continue to support subsequent phases as the project moves through the approval process. There is no developer for the potential project, Cherry said.