Private jets arriving at Cobb County International Airport now have a flashier front door. Ascension has opened a new fixed-base operator terminal at McCollum Field, giving pilots, corporate travelers and high-end leisure flyers a modern place to land, regroup and head into town. The hospitality-focused facility wraps operational functions around upgraded lounge space and crew amenities, and local leaders and aviation partners marked the debut with a summertime ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Design and delivery
The terminal, designed by CROFT & Associates and delivered through a design-build partnership with Rainwater Construction, comes in at 6,987 square feet and is laid out to keep passenger and crew movement smooth from curb to cockpit. Inside, the facility features executive pilot lounges, conference space for on-the-fly meetings, aircraft maintenance access, fuel operations and around-the-clock service. “The new terminal is more than a building. It is a front door to Cobb County,” the firm said.
Ribbon cutting and partners
County officials, members of the airport authority board, Ascension executives and representatives from the Cobb Chamber and other local partners turned out for the ribbon cutting, which doubled as a thank-you tour for the project team and community stakeholders. The work started in Commissioner JoAnn Birrell’s district and wrapped up in Commissioner Keli Gambrill’s, a timeline that reflects years of coordination among elected officials and airport staff. Local coverage featured photos of Ascension leaders alongside the design and construction team at the event, according to Cobb Courier.
Airport context and stats
McCollum Field was already punching above its weight before the new building opened. Cobb County counts more than 300 based aircraft on the field, roughly 500,000 square feet of hangar space, 50 acres of ramp and a 6,295-foot runway. The airport handles more than 110,000 flight operations a year and generates about $129 million in economic impact, a mix that helps explain why private-jet operators and FBO networks view RYY as a practical alternative to busier commercial airports. The county also points to an on-site U.S. Customs presence that supports international arrivals for business aviation, according to Cobb County.
Local economic lift and next steps
Regional economic development groups have framed Ascension’s move as a concrete bet on the local market. SelectCobb has described the passenger terminal as roughly a 6,000-square-foot, approximately $6 million project that will support about two dozen aviation jobs on site. Ascension and its partners have also floated workforce and education tie-ins linked to maintenance and operations, with an eye toward building local talent pipelines for aviation careers.
“Business aviation is often someone’s first impression of a community,” project manager Chris Philhower said, underscoring how the terminal is meant to shape visitor perceptions as much as it is to handle flight logistics. Project leaders say the new facility positions RYY to capture rising corporate travel demand while keeping operations and safety at the center of future growth, according to Cobb Courier.
