Florence Regional Airport is three miles east of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, in Florence County, South Carolina, United States. The only scheduled flights are American Eagle to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

Facilities

The airport covers and has two asphalt runways: 1/19 is 6,000 × 150 ft (1,829 × 46 m) and 9/27 is 6,502 × 150 ft (1,982 × 46 m). In the year ending February 22, 2022, the airport had 23,572 aircraft operations, average 65 per day: 84%

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

, 11%

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. History The concept of air taxis existed as early as the 1910s. This concept goes back as early as 1917 with Glenn Curtiss’ prototype, the auto-plane. Furthermor ...

, 6% military, and <1% commercial. 47 aircraft were then based at the airport: 25% single-engine, 14 multi-engine, 2 jet, and 6 helicopters.

Airline and destination

Destination statistics

History

The airport began with the purchase of in 1928. During World War II the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

' Third Air Force used the airport as a training base and added . Known as Florence Army Airfield, the 52d Pursuit Group was assigned to the airfield on 18 February 1942 and trained with P-39 Airacobra and

P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...

s until departing on 27 April for Wilmington, North Carolina. A succession of Troop Carrier groups trained at Florence during 1943 those being the 63d, 65th, 313th and 315th prior to their deployment to Europe and North Africa. The airfield became a combat crew replacement training school for A-20 Havoc light bomber crews, with the 411th Bombardment Group being the Operational Training Unit at Florence AAF from 15 August 1943 until 1 May 1944. After the 344th was inactivated, replacement training was taken over by the 334th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Replacement Training Unit, Light Bombardment). Support units at Florence AAF were the 407th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron; 10th Aviation Squadron; 958th Guard Squadron; 341st Sub-Depot; HQ, 411th Bombardment Group (Light). Florence AAF controlled two auxiliary training bases for its A-20 training. * Hartsville AAF Darlington, South Carolina * Hartsville Auxiliary Field, Hartsville, South Carolina In early 1945 the airfield was transferred to First Air Force and the 127th Army Air Forces Base unit (Combat Crew Training Station, Light) assumed the A-26 Invader training mission. The property was given back to the City of Florence on 31 October 1945 and later shared with Florence County. Eastern Airlines served FLO from 1948 to 1965; Piedmont Airlines flights (including

Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is an American narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Boeing Renton Factory, Renton factory in Washington (state), Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the t ...

s) ended in 1981. Operation of the airport was assigned to the Pee Dee Regional Airport Authority in 1999. The authority had nine representatives from the Pee Dee Regional Airport District, which includes the City of Florence, and the counties of Florence, Dillon and Marion.

Florence Air & Missile Museum

From the 1960s until 1997 Florence was home to a large aviation museum, the Florence Air & Missile Museum. When it closed, the collection was divided among other museums in the United States.

References

External links

Florence Regional Airport
official site * * * {{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II Airports established in 1928 Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in South Carolina Airports in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Florence County, South Carolina Transportation in Florence County, South Carolina 1928 establishments in South Carolina