CHARLESTON IN THE NEWS - AUGUST 2025 EDITION
We’re happy to share the following local news with you this month that relates to aviation, entertainment, manufacturing and industry, and defense. Use the links provided (in bold blue font) to access more information about any items of particular interest to you. Enjoy the read!
On the aviation front…
Charleston International Airport (CHS) broke ground in mid-July on its $105 million West Gates Expansion project which will add more than 40,000 sq ft of new passenger space - four new gates, large holding areas, almost 4,000 sq ft of food, beverage and retail space, and new traveler amenities for an enhanced traveler experience - PLUS 23,000 sq ft of operations space equipped for international flights. Upon its completion in 2027, the airport’s total gate capacity will increase by 15%.
BermudAir, which introduced a once-weekly nonstop flight service between Charleston and Bermuda (BDA) in April of this year, is replacing it with a more convenient twice-weekly schedule on Thursdays and Sundays starting August 7th and running through October. The schedule runs in parallel with travel packages offered by BermudAir Holidays that add accommodations and experiences in both destinations.
Ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines, which currently only flies nonstop to Philadelphia from Charleston, will be launching a new, twice-weekly, nonstop service between Charleston and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) this fall, starting October 9th. This is part of the airline’s launch/return of 15 routes across the country this fall.
Bahrain’s Gulf Air has negotiated an order for up to 18 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that will boost Boeing's North Charleston operations. Gulf Air has been a Boeing customer since 1961 and added its first 787s as its flagship aircraft in 2018, with Dreamliners still the only wide-body aircraft in its fleet. The order will allow it to expand its long-haul service, including the relaunch of flights to New York’s JFK Airport - the longest route in its network - that will begin in October.
In the world of entertainment…
Charleston is well represented in this year’s Emmy nominations. HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones”, filmed in Charleston, has earned six nominations - for cinematography, music supervision, sound editing, stunt coordination, costumes and makeup. CBS will air the awards live on September 14th. And James Island native Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” received a nomination for Outstanding Talk Series.
In manufacturing and industry news…
Volvo Cars has announced that it will begin production in late 2026 of its best-selling XC60 mid-size SUV at its Ridgeville plant where it now assembles the fully electric EX90 and the battery-electric Polestar 3 SUV models. XC60 sales in the US were up almost 23% in the first half of 2025. Volvo has invested $1.3 billion in the Charleston-area plant, its first in the US, since it started here in 2015.
Business Facilities Magazine has ranked Santee Cooper’s 6,800-acre Camp Hall Commerce Park in Ridgeville - where Volvo Cars are produced - as the nation’s No. 1 industrial park in its 21st Ranking Report, recognizing its accessibility, growing list of advanced manufacturing, logistics and technology companies, focus on workforce development and amenities, as well as environmental management. In a recent economic impact study, Camp Hall was found to contribute $3.4 billion annually to the Charleston Tri-county region, with $7.3 billion expected for the region each year once fully developed in 2035.
As for defense…
Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic (NIWC Atlantic, formerly SPAWAR), which develops information technologies for warfare for the U.S. military, contributed $10 billion across the U.S. in FY24, with South Carolina second to Virginia in seeing a $2.1 billion economic impact that was largely received in the Lowcountry. NIWC Atlantic’s local operations employ almost 8,000 people, with half in cybersecurity.
