
Athens, Georgia, is served by the Athens–Ben Epps Airport, a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the city's central business district. The airport is named after Ben T. Epps, the first aviator in the state of Georgia, who opened the airport in 1917. Athens–Ben Epps Airport covers an area of 425 acres (172 ha) and has two asphalt runways. It is mostly used for general aviation, although it has seen commercial airline service throughout its history.
What You'll Learn
- Athens–Ben Epps Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport
- The airport is named after Ben T. Epps, Georgia's first aviator
- It is located three nautical miles east of Athens' central business district
- Athens–Ben Epps Airport covers an area of 425 acres at an elevation of 812 feet
- The airport provides facilities and services for commercial and general aviation operations
Athens–Ben Epps Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport
Athens in Georgia does indeed have an airport: the Athens–Ben Epps Airport. This airport is county-owned and open for public use. It is located three nautical miles (or 6 kilometres) east of the central business district of Athens, a city in Clarke County, Georgia. The airport is named after Ben T. Epps, the first aviator in the state of Georgia, who opened the airport in 1917.
Athens–Ben Epps Airport covers an area of 425 acres (172 hectares) and sits at an elevation of 812 feet (248 metres) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt runways: 2/20, which is 3,995 by 100 feet (1,218 x 30 metres), and 9/27, which is 6,122 by 100 feet (1,866 by 30 metres). The airport provides facilities and services for both commercial and general aviation operations.
In 2015, a $17 million project extended one of the runways by 600 feet to accommodate larger planes, primarily for the use of the University of Georgia. The University of Georgia Aviation Club is based at the airport, and the University's football, basketball, baseball, and softball teams use it as their primary hub for travelling to and from away games.
Athens–Ben Epps Airport is served by various hotels in the area, and it is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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The airport is named after Ben T. Epps, Georgia's first aviator
Athens, Georgia, is served by the Athens–Ben Epps Airport, a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (or six kilometres) east of the central business district of the city. The airport is named after Ben T. Epps, who was Georgia's first aviator and who opened the airport in 1917.
Ben T. Epps was a pioneer of aviation in Georgia. In addition to being the state's first aviator, Epps was also an aeronautical engineer, having designed and built his first aircraft in 1907. Epps' aircraft was the first powered aircraft in Georgia and he successfully flew it in 1909. This aircraft, named the "Dixie Flyer", was the first of several that Epps would design and build. He was also the first person to establish an airport in Georgia, which would become the aforementioned Athens–Ben Epps Airport.
Epps' interest in aviation began in his youth, when he witnessed the Wright Brothers' first flight in 1903. This sparked a lifelong passion for flight, which he pursued through his engineering studies and, later, his career as a pilot. In addition to his achievements in aviation, Epps was also an accomplished athlete. He was a member of the University of Georgia's football team and was later inducted into the Georgia-Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.
The Athens–Ben Epps Airport provides facilities and services for both commercial and general aviation operations. The airport covers an area of 425 acres at an elevation of 812 feet above mean sea level. It has two asphalt runways, with the longest being 6,122 feet in length. While the airport primarily serves general aviation, it has also seen airline service throughout its history.
In recent years, the airport has undergone improvements to accommodate larger planes, including a $17 million runway extension project completed in 2015. These improvements have enhanced the airport's capabilities and its role as a transportation hub for the region.
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It is located three nautical miles east of Athens' central business district
Athens in Georgia does indeed have an airport. The Athens-Ben Epps Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (or six kilometres) east of the central business district of Athens. The airport is named after Ben T. Epps, the first aviator in the state of Georgia, and was opened by him in 1917.
Athens-Ben Epps Airport is located at 1010 Ben Epps Drive, Athens, GA 30605. It covers an area of 425 acres at an elevation of 812 feet above mean sea level. The airport has two asphalt runways: 2/20, which is 3,995 feet by 100 feet, and 9/27, which is 6,122 feet by 100 feet. It provides facilities and services for both commercial and general aviation operations.
Athens-Ben Epps Airport is mostly used for general aviation, although it has seen airline service throughout its history. In 2015, a new runway extension project was completed to allow the airport to accept larger planes, primarily for use by the University of Georgia. The University of Georgia Aviation Club is based at the airport, and the University's sports teams use it as their primary hub for transporting players, coaches, and staff to and from away games.
While Athens does have its own airport, travellers to Athens often opt to fly into larger airports in nearby cities, such as Atlanta, and drive to Athens from there.
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Athens–Ben Epps Airport covers an area of 425 acres at an elevation of 812 feet
Athens in Georgia does indeed have an airport. The Athens–Ben Epps Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (or six kilometres) east of the central business district of Athens. It is named after Ben T. Epps, the first aviator in the state of Georgia, who opened the airport in 1917.
Athens–Ben Epps Airport is mostly used for general aviation, although it has seen airline service throughout its history. It is used by the University of Georgia Athletics Association as the primary hub for transporting players, coaches, and staff to and from away games. The University of Georgia Aviation Club is also based at the airport.
In 2020, the airport received a $750,000 grant from the United States Department of Transportation to provide incentives for a commercial airliner to begin services to Athens.
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The airport provides facilities and services for commercial and general aviation operations
Athens in Georgia is served by the Athens–Ben Epps Airport, a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (or six kilometres) east of the central business district of Athens. The airport is named after Ben T. Epps, the first aviator in the state of Georgia, who opened the airport in 1917.
The airport provides facilities and services for both commercial and general aviation operations. It covers an area of 425 acres at an elevation of 812 feet above mean sea level. It has two asphalt runways: 2/20, which is 3,995 feet by 100 feet, and 9/27, which is 6,122 feet by 100 feet.
Athens–Ben Epps Airport is mostly used for general aviation, although it has seen airline service throughout its history. In 2015, a $17 million, 600-foot runway extension project was completed to allow larger planes to use the airport, primarily serving the University of Georgia. The airport received a grant from the United States Department of Transportation in 2020 to provide incentives for a commercial airliner to begin services to Athens.
For the 12-month period ending April 30, 2023, the airport had 39,471 aircraft operations, an average of 108 per day. Of these, 92% were general aviation, 6% were air taxi, 2% were military, and less than 1% were scheduled commercial flights. There were 82 aircraft based at the airport, including 71 single-engine planes, 8 multi-engine planes, one jet, one helicopter, and one glider.
The University of Georgia Aviation Club is based at the airport, and the University's Athletics Association uses it as the primary hub for transporting players, coaches, and staff to and from away games.
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Frequently asked questions
Athens, Georgia does have an airport. The Athens-Ben Epps Airport is a county-owned, public-use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) east of the central business district of Athens.
The airport's IATA code is AHN.
The airport provides facilities and services for both commercial and general aviation operations. It covers an area of 425 acres (172 ha) and has two asphalt runways.
While there is a small airport near Athens, some travellers opt to fly into larger airports in Atlanta, Greenville, or Charlotte and then drive to Athens.