North Carolina’s 72 publicly owned airports contribute more than $72 billion to the state’s economy annually, according to a North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation report.
North Carolina has 10 commercial service airports and 62 general aviation airports.
The report, North Carolina: The State of Aviation, outlines the economic impacts of the state’s public airports, related aviation, and aerospace. It is released every two years to guide future investment in aviation infrastructure and recruit aviation and aerospace industry companies and investment.
According to the report, the airports support nearly 333,000 jobs and a total of 11 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.
Airports and aviation-related jobs contribute $3.7 billion in state and local tax revenues and provide nearly $23 billion in personal income annually.
Passenger service at commercial service airports reached 80 percent of its pre-pandemic levels in 2021, reaching 56.9 million.
In 2021, 22 percent more cargo flew into North Carolina than in 2019, reaching 1.3 million tons. This is attributed to an increase in durable goods as well as online purchases made by homebound consumers.
Airports leased space to more than 4,000 private aircraft, generating more than $5.6 million in property tax revenues annually.