The Athens Ben Epps Airport nearly doubles flight operations around college football game days, turning the small 425‑acre field into a high‑pressure traffic hub. Tower operations supervisor Russ Parton says game‑day planning begins on the runway: “try to plan for 10, 15, 20 aircraft in advance.” Coordination among the airport’s small staff has never been more critical as teams, charters and private jets converge.
The FAA says the number of flights at the field more than doubles for big games. What was once strictly amateur is now “largely a high roller market,” and airlines nationwide are responding — adding extra seats and scheduling new flights timed around major college matchups.
Mike Matthews, the airport director, says demand can overwhelm capacity: there have been five ground stops in the last six years when there simply wasn’t room. “We have a lot of area on this airport that you wouldn’t think we could put an airplane. But we do,” he said, describing how staff squeeze aircraft into available space.
The surge creates logistical headaches for small airports and drives up travel costs, putting many fans out of reach of in‑person attendance. Skyler Henry, CBS News, Athens, Georgia.
