Around major college football weekends, Athens’ Ben Epps Airport transforms from a quiet regional field into a tightly packed flight hub. The 425‑acre airport regularly sees flight activity more than double for big games, forcing staff to manage a surge of team transports, charters and private jets converging on a facility built for much lighter traffic.
Tower operations supervisor Russ Parton says planning starts on the runway, anticipating batches of 10, 15 or 20 aircraft at a time. With only a small team on duty, precise coordination becomes essential to clear arrivals, handle departures and keep ground movement safe.
Federal Aviation Administration data confirm the spike: flight counts at the field rise dramatically for marquee matchups. What used to be mostly amateur or occasional private traffic has shifted toward a higher‑end market, prompting airlines to add seats and operate extra flights scheduled around major games.
Airport director Mike Matthews warns the increased demand can outstrip available space and services. In the past six years the field has issued five ground stops when there was nowhere left to stage aircraft. Staff routinely find and adapt every usable patch of ramp and taxiway to park planes and keep operations moving.
That surge creates logistical headaches for a small airport—more coordination, staffing pressure and aircraft juggling—and it drives up travel costs, making in‑person attendance harder for many fans. Skyler Henry, CBS News, Athens, Georgia.