Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) The Greenville Downtown Airport is located in the scenic Upstate of South Carolina. Operated by the Greenville Airport Commission, GMU is the busiest general aviation airport in the state. The airport is home to more than 25 aviation-related businesses creating 453 jobs that annually contribute more than $35.2 million to the Upstate economy. GMU is convenient to all of Greenville's premier destinations. The Bi-Lo Center, the Peace Center, and the vibrant downtown area are only a five-minute drive away. Shopping malls, hotels, and restaurants are located just a few blocks from GMU. The Carolina First Center (formerly Palmetto Expo Center) and The Phoenix-Greenville's Inn are located right next door, within walking distance of the airport. GMU is a modern and attractive facility with a wide variety of tenants that offer a full range of aviation services. A friendly and professional air traffic control tower keeps this busy facility operating in a safe and efficient manner. Greenville County recently showed its pro-business approach by lowering the tax rate applicable to aircraft by more than sixty percent (60%). The Commission has attractive real estate available for future aviation and non-aviation development at GMU. For hassle-free access to the Upstate or a great place to operate a business, GMU is the "Corporate Gateway to Greenville." Southern Hospitality Business Jets at GMU GMU RECEIVES SAFETY AWARD FROM FAA The FAA Southern Region recently selected GMU to receive its prestigious General Aviation Airport Safety Award. The award is presented to a general aviation airport in the Southeast that makes outstanding efforts to increase flight safety. GMU accomplished this by completing numerous safety-enhancing projects. Of particular note, GMU was the first general aviation airport in the nation to install an Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) in the latter part of 2003. EMAS rapidly and safely decelerates aircraft that have overrun the active runway by utilizing energy absorbing material. In the summer of 2006, this system was credited with saving five passengers and a $20 million Falcon 900 jet that overran Runway 1 due to a brake malfunction. RUNWAY CAFE COMING TO GMU You will soon be able to watch planes and helicopters takeoff and land while having a fantastic meal at the Greenville Downtown Airport. The Runway Cafe will serve a variety of delicious food, as well as beer and wine, from a unique building with an excellent view of GMU's runways. The aviation themed venue will be family friendly, affordable and feature a main dining area, outside seating, rooms for private groups and a large hangar for special events. Mike Bliss will be the managing partner of Runway Cafe. Bliss, a Clemson graduate, has been in the food and beverage industry for over 16 years. Bliss most recently worked with the Palmetto Bean Company which currently has a location at the Hughes Main Library and formerly had a cafe in the Open Book, a local independent bookstore that recently went out of business. “I look forward to welcoming customers from the Open Book to my new space which is less than a mile from the Open Book's former location, as well as meeting new customers from the community that enjoy aviation and good food,” said Bliss. Pilots will be able to use the pilot's lounge with internet access and park their aircraft right in front of the restaurant. The site is also convenient to an airplane self-serve fuel pump. There will, of course, also be plenty of automobile parking for those who arrive by land! Renovations have begun to the building that will house the restaurant. The Runway Cafe is scheduled to open this summer. View from Runway Cafe