Allendale County Airport Gets $443,000 for Runway Lighting Repairs

U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn announced $443,000 for Allendale County Airport as part of a $1,642,458 federal aviation package for rural airports in South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District, a move that could help keep the county’s only public-use airfield reliable for emergency access, business travel and agricultural flights.

The money comes through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. Allendale County’s share is aimed at rehabilitating the existing Runway 17/35 lighting and extending its useful life. The district total also included $282,000 for the City of Orangeburg to update its airport layout plan and $917,458 for the City of Walterboro to build a new 300-foot taxiway to meet current standards.

Allendale County Airport sits at 467 Airport Loop in Fairfax and carries FAA identifier AQX. Its asphalt runway 17/35 measures 4,990 feet by 75 feet, and the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission lists MIRL on the runway and PAPI activation. County information says the airport handles about 200 monthly flights, sells 100LL and Jet A fuel around the clock, and operates an FBO with restrooms, snacks, a shower, a sleep room and transportation.

That local utility matters because the airport already has a measured economic footprint. Allendale County says a 2018 study found the airport generated $1.8 million in annual economic impact and supported 2.95% of annual visitors to South Carolina. County leaders have also described the airport as an ambassador for Allendale County, a small facility whose value depends on whether aircraft can land safely and reliably in all conditions.

The federal award also fits into work already moving forward on the ground. A public bid notice showed Allendale County pursuing an Airfield Rejuvenation and Lighting Rehabilitation Project under FAA AIP Project No. 3-45-0003-024-2024, with bids due April 16. That notice called for lighting and electrical upgrades tied to runway and taxiway work, including LED Medium Intensity Runway Lighting, a Precision Approach Path Indicator, LED signage, new regulators and LED Medium Intensity Taxiway Lighting, with Lonnie Browning listed as airport manager and Holt Consulting Company, LLC as engineer.

For Allendale County, the question is not just how much federal money arrived, but what it protects: safe nighttime operations, dependable access for medical or business flights, and the airport infrastructure that helps sustain a rural county’s connectivity. With the lighting project now funded and the broader rehabilitation effort already underway, the county will have a clear benchmark for value: whether AQX keeps serving the traffic, fuel sales and local economic activity that make the airport matter.