North Carolina
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According to the 2025 North Carolina: The State of Aviation report, the total annual economic impact of general aviation airports in North Carolina is $7.1 billion.
Aviation By the Numbers
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), North Carolina is home to 62 public-use general aviation airports. According to FAA data, North Carolina is home to 23,595 pilots and 7,190 registered aircraft.
Number of Jobs
According to the 2025 North Carolina: The State of Aviation report, general aviation airports support over 30,000 jobs in North Carolina, sustaining a total payroll of over $2.5 billion.
Economic Impact
According to the same report, the total annual economic impact of general aviation airports in North Carolina is $7.1 billion.
According to NCDOT, North Carolina is home to 75 Part 145 repair centers, 23 Part 141 pilot schools, and three Part 142 training centers. According to FAA data, North Carolina is home to 9,019 student pilots and 4,208 flight instructors.
In addition, there are 82 fixed-base operators in the state registered in the AC-U-KWIK directory.
According to NCDOT, higher education aviation programs in North Carolina highlighted in the State of Aviation report include A-B Tech Community College in Asheville, College of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, Craven Community College in New Bern, Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, Lenoir Community College in Kinston, Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Charlotte, Stanley Community College in Albemarle, and Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh.
Bobby Walston, P.E. - Aviation Director, North Carolina Department of Transportation
“Aviation and transportation companies in North Carolina, such as HondaJet, Koury Aviation and many others, are at the forefront of investing in sustainable fuel and technologies. In addition, the North Carolina Department of Transportation recently participated in a demonstration of an EHang autonomous two-seat air taxi, the first of its kind in the United States, and sustainable aviation fuel is now available at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro. These and exciting developments in these areas of growth have the potential to reduce noise and emissions, support our network of airports, and grow our infrastructure which drives more than 372,000 jobs and $60.7 billion in economic impact.”
Patrick Woodie, President & CEO, North Carolina Rural Center
"Across North Carolina and neighboring states, small regional airports formed a lifeline in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, with Concord-Padgett Regional Airport serving as a base of operations where volunteers coordinated and loaded supplies for transport to the hardest-hit areas. From there, smaller airports, including those in Hickory and Greenville, South Carolina, enabled pilots to reach communities otherwise cut off by the storm. Pilots from Moore County, for example, made repeated trips into Ashe County, where they not only delivered essentials but also provided hands-on assistance to residents left stranded without food, water or power."
