Horry-Conway Airport Could House Academic Program

Embry-Riddle University is reportedly looking at Horry-Conway airport in South Carolina as a possible site for expansion, according to the Myrtle Beach Sun News. The airport is the site of the former North American Institute of Aviation, which closed last fall and went into bankruptcy.

The paper reports Horry County has been trying to find a tenant for the facility since it closed. The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics is also reportedly looking at the space.

Mike Marlowe, director of general aviation for the Airport Department, said Embry-Riddle was talking about only offering an academic program to start, with no actual flight experience offered at the site. Talks were underway to create a cooperative program between Embry-Riddle and Horry-Georgetown Technical College to offer a baccalaureate degree program.

The paper says Embry-Riddle is also planning to look at a site called The Market Common, which is being eyed for an aeronautical park. If the expansion plans go through, South Carolina would be Embry-Riddle's third location, joining Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona.

Meanwhile, since plans for either Embry-Riddle or The Pittsburgh Institute would take more than a year to come together, the airport authority has approved one-year leases with three businesses at the airport.

FMI: http://www.horrycounty.org/depts/airports/index.asp