Guitar-shaped terminal takes flight at Middle Georgia Regional Airport

Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller, county commissioners and airport officials broke ground Oct. 6 on a guitar-shaped executive terminal at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

The terminal, operated by full-service fixed-base operator HighNote Aviation, will be two stories tall and include 214,000 square feet of space. The building, which will anchor the county-owned airport’s fueling and maintenance services, will include a lounge and restaurant.

The facility’s shape — and its piano-key windows and guitar-pick tiles — acknowledge Macon’s musical heritage, officials noted. They said locally sourced wood will contribute to construction, which is set to begin in January and conclude in early 2027.

“We go big in Macon and continue to go big with nice things that are going to help our community drive industry here, tourism here,” Miller said. 

Heather Hillstrom Lowe, the county’s deputy director of aviation, said that, before construction begins, contractors will relocate and upgrade the airport’s vault, which houses lighting and electrical equipment.

The airport will receive more traffic thanks to pilots-in-training who usually make short trips, Hillstrom Lowe said. These new pilots often fuel up and grab some food in the process — a phenomenon known as a “$100 hamburger” in the aviation industry, she noted.

She added the terminal will help “our airport become sustainable.”

County officials revealed plans for the new terminal in October 2023. The county, through its HighNote Aviation entity, took over as fixed-base operator that same year. In that role, the company provides support services for general aviation.

Construction — spearheaded by Sheridan Construction — is funded by $20 million in county bonds issued by the industrial authority. Commissioners approved a $13.4 million contract with the Macon-based general contractor in February.

Miller said expanding the airport will boost local tax revenue, adding that, right now, 91 airplanes are stored in hangars across the county, with a combined taxable value of $158 million.

He said the terminal will also add jobs while growing the local aviation industry.

Stephen Adams, industrial authority executive director, said the project’s bonds will be paid back using a mix of terminal revenue and tax proceeds.

“This is a pretty big deal for us because people are visiting our community and looking to invest, and a lot of times this is their only entry point,” he said. “That first impression is a big deal.”

The Middle Georgia Regional Airport — which, in addition to general aviation services, offers commercial flights to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia through Contour Airlines — is also adding new T-hangars and a box hangar and extending its East Drive thoroughfare through a $4 million state transportation grant issued in 2024.

The airport received additional state funds in 2023 to expand the airport’s runway.

Earlier this year, county officials announced that Spirit Airlines would launch services at the regional airport, including a commercial flight to Fort Lauderdale. The low-cost airline later declared bankruptcy and canceled its Macon plans.

Miller said that, despite the Spirit setback, the airport remains “viable.”

“Just like we’re doing with the national park, we’re getting ahead of the game,” he said. “We’re laying the foundation.”