Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport Celebrates South Carolina Aviation Week

On Thursday, August 22, the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (KSPA) will be celebrating South Carolina Aviation Week, August 18–24, with an offering of $0.25 USD per gallon discount for all aircraft arriving or departing from their location using AVCARD by World Fuel and showcasing their Spartanburg Aviation Education Program.

Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport has partnered with South Carolina Aeronautics Commission (SCAC) and South Carolina Aviation Association (SCAA) to celebrate the economic and educational impact of the aviation industry and to highlight the Spartanburg Aviation Education Program. The Spartanburg Aviation Education Program is available four times a year and teaches students about aircraft maintenance, flight simulator technology, glider flight, a powered pilot with flight included, introduction to civil air patrol and many other aviation topics. Enrollment is currently open to students local to Spartanburg; the future of the program will include homeschooled and online students. Six students from this program have each earned $300 USD scholarships from World Fuel Services to assist with the education program.

Future plans for the airport include using the airport as an asset for aviation education for everyone, especially young people interested in aviation as a career. Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport partnered with Spartanburg Science Center to create a unique solution to the Upstate WorkForce Development issue, offering local learners the opportunity to fully explore careers in the aviation industry. The airport plans to run the Spartanburg Aviation Education Program four times a year for local schools and colleges to use the airport as an aviation educational asset.

During Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport’s showcase, there will also be an educational session for business owners about the tax benefits to investors in the “Opportunity Zone,” a zone designed to spur economic development. As part of the economic development for the City of Spartanburg, the next phase of development for the airport includes building new aircraft hangars which provides tax benefits to investors. As the largest asset of the city, developing the airport will allow more aviation business to operate out of Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport which will be a development driver for the area.