Charleston Executive Airport (JZI) is a publicly owned and operated airport under the auspices of the Charleston County Aviation Authority (link). Atlantic Aviation is the fixed-base operator at JZI under contract with the Aviation Authority.

The airport is located on 1,333 acres on Johns Island approximately 10 miles from historic downtown Charleston. JZI was originally developed as the Johns Island Airfield Military Reservation, serving as an outlying auxiliary training base of the U.S. Air Force’s operations from the Charleston Municipal Airport, now Charleston International Airport (CHS).

Constructed in just 95 days between 1944 and 1945, the airport only served military interests for three years before it was transferred to Charleston County in 1948. The county owned and operated the airport until 1972 when the newly formed Charleston County Aviation Authority began leasing the airfield from the county. In 1975, the airport was granted fee simple to the Aviation Authority, which continues to own and operate the facility today as a reliever airport to Charleston International Airport (CHS).

Today Charleston Executive Airport primarily serves western Charleston County, including Kiawah and Seabrook islands and downtown Charleston. Its clientele tends to be corporate and business jets. Other on-site facilities include Charleston County Mosquito Abatement and the U.S. Coast Guard Air Facility Charleston.

In addition to Charleston Executive Airport and Charleston International, the Aviation Authority also owns and operates Mount Pleasant Regional Airport.