North Carolina’s aviation industry contributes $88 billion each year to the state’s economy and supports more than 427,000 jobs statewide, according to a biennial report compiled by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
[Above image by NCDOT]
The “North Carolina: The State of Aviation” January 2025 report, issued by the NCDOT’s Division of Aviation, highlights the “substantial economic impact and vital role” local airports play in the North Carolina.
“North Carolina’s aviation industry is not only a cornerstone of our economy, but also a key driver of innovation,” said Nick Short, interim director of the NCDOT Division of Aviation, in a statement.
“This report highlights the critical role our airports play in fostering economic growth, supporting new technologies, and positioning the state as a leader in the future of aviation,” he said.
NCDOT said this report – which contains data compiled and analyzed for the agency by N.C. State University’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education – examines the extensive economic influence of the state’s aviation system, which includes 10 commercial service airports and 62 general aviation airports.
Those facilities that play a vital role in supporting diverse sectors such as agriculture, military operations, emergency response and aerospace innovation, NCDOT said.
The agency added that the state’s airports are also seeing significant growth in passenger services, with total passenger counts climbing to 74.3 million annually.
Local communities earn significant returns from the state’s general aviation facilities, NCDOT stressed, where nearly 4,000 aircraft generate $6.8 million in local property tax revenues. A single $15 million aircraft based at Hickory Regional Airport, for instance, generates the same property taxes as 60 typical homes, without the high level of public infrastructure residential areas require.
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