Brunswick Golden Isles Airport

Brunswick Golden Isles Airport (IATA: BQK, ICAO: KBQK, FAA LID: BQK), previously known as Glynco Jetport, is a county-owned public-use airport located five nautical miles (9 km) north of the central business district of Brunswick, a city in Glynn County, Georgia, United States. It is mostly used for general aviation, but is also served by one commercial airline.

History

Prior to 1975, the airport was Naval Air Station Glynco (IATA: NEA, ICAO: KNEA). In August 1942, the U.S. Navy began building the air station on 2,400 acres (970 ha) in the northern part of the county. Named NAS Glynco as an abbreviation of Glynn County, it was launched as an operational base for lighter-than-air airships, more commonly known as blimps.

The entire community was stunned when plans were announced to close the base at the end of 1974. NAS Glynco had been a strong influence in Glynn County for 31 years, both economically and as a proud element of local identity.

As TRAWING 8 was decommissioned and VT-86 transferred to Training Air Wing SIX at NAS Pensacola, Florida, the Glynn County community hastily took control of its destiny when a group of 19 community leaders formed the Glynco Steering Committee to attract new users to the facility. Their hard work paid off in 1975 when the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) selected the former Glynco site for a consolidated training academy for federal law enforcement personnel. FLETC constructed their facility on the former blimp facility, while the community retained the airfield proper and its runway, which was designated the official county municipal airport in 1975. Both developments proved to be invaluable to the future of Brunswick and the Golden Isles. Contributions to the local economy and population of Glynn County by the FLETC have exceeded even the Navy's considerable impact, and the 8,001-foot (2,439 m) jet runway has been an important community asset.