In 1976, the Charleston County Aviation Authority selected and purchased from Georgia-Pacific a 300-acre parcel of land to develop an airport for the residents of Mount Pleasant, S.C. Construction took several years and in 1987 East Cooper Airport was dedicated. Later land purchases increased the overall size of the airport property to about 460 acres. In 2006, the Aviation Authority Board renamed the airport Mount Pleasant Regional Airport.

Mount Pleasant Regional Airport (FAA designator: LRO, ICAO designator: KLRO) is located in Charleston County about 10 miles from downtown Charleston and about six miles from Exit 28 on Interstate 526. The airport property is bounded by residential development.

The airport does not provide scheduled passenger services but rather is primarily geared toward the recreational flyer. One flight school is located on site.

Mount Pleasant Regional Airport –Faison Field, as it is sometimes called, is named in honor of Lt. Col. Haywood “Woody” Faison. The road leading to the airport is named for him too.

Faison got his flying start at age 6 in a Fokker C-2 he flew from North Carolina. His made his first solo flight on July 3, 1936 in a J-2 Cub and continued his training with Bevo Howard while a cadet at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in downtown Charleston. After graduating in 1939, Faison joined the National Guard and entered active duty with the Army Air Corps and later the U.S. Air Force. During his 30 years of active duty, Lt. Col. Faison flew numerous aircraft from single seat fighter jets to multi-engine bombers and tankers. He participated in 35 combat missions in B-29s.

After his retirement, Lt. Col. Faison returned to the Lowcountry where in 1968 he established Palmetto Air Service, helping others earn their wings at what is now the longest-operating flying organization in the area. He also operated Wilson Memorial Airport, a small airport on the Isle of Palms where the Wild Dunes golf course is now located, and was the first aircraft operator at East Cooper Airport when it opened in 1986. Until his death in 2007, Faison was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the OX-5 Pioneers, the United Flying Octogenarians and founding member of the East Cooper Pilots Association. In 1999 he was inducted into the South Carolina Aviation Association Hall of Fame.

Today, Mount Pleasant Regional Airport is a hub of activity for the recreational flier and aviation enthusiasts from the local area and from other parts of the region.

In addition to Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, the Charleston County Aviation Authority owns Charleston Executive Airport (link to page), which is fixed-base operation by Atlantic Aviation. The region’s commercial air service provider, Charleston International Airport (link), is owned and operated by the Aviation Authority.