Gallery: Pine Belt Regional Airport- 50 years ago
The Pine Belt Regional Airport began serving Forrest and Jones Counties in 1974. Renamed the Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport in 1990, the facility has continually adapted and expanded to meet the ever-changing commercial air passenger and business needs of southeast Mississippi.
The airport's 50th anniversary was celebrated in July of 2024. In recognition of this milestone, we dove into our archives and retrieved photos of the airport when it first opened. The scans include general scenes, officials and guests who participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony as well as visitors touring a Southern Airlines jet.
We hope you enjoy this nostalgic visit to our regional airport!