Rock Hill/York County Airport can trace its beginnings to the year 1959, when it first opened on a 364-acre tract of land purchased by the Rock Hill City Council. Shortly after, an airport commission was formed with six local members interested in the advancement of the airport’s facilities.

Over the years, the Rock Hill/York County Airport team has pushed for recognition of the airport as a key general aviation gateway to the Carolinas. In 1991, the runway was extended to its current length of 5,500 feet, allowing support for virtually all piston and turboprop aircraft in addition to most short-to-medium range business jets. In 1993, the airport adopted the name Bryant Field, after South Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame inductee Robert E. Bryant (pictured to the left), but the name has since been dropped to avoid confusion with Bryant Field in California.

A 7,200 square-foot terminal, called the John Anderson Hardin Terminal, was built in 1999 and refurbished in 2015 to include state-of-the-art facilities for pilots and travelers alike. It is named after Rock Hill Mayor John Hardin for his vision and commitment to Rock Hill/York County Airport between 1958 and 1963.

As a design for the future, an Airport Master Plan developed by UZA Airport Management was adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration on September 26, 2003. This dynamic plan was put in place to occur over a 20-year period from 2003-2022 and includes enhancements such as rehabilitating airfield lights (completed in 2010), overlaying the runway (completed in 2012), repaving taxiways (completion expected in 2016), and extending the runway by 1,000 feet to accommodate transcontinental flights.