Ruth Haines
North Carolina is home to 44 airports, including 4 international airports and several regional airports. The Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is the busiest airport in the state, serving as the second-largest hub for American Airlines. Other major airports in the state include the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the Pitt-Greenville Regional Airport, and the Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport. These airports offer a range of transportation and aviation services, connecting people to destinations within the United States and internationally.
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What You'll Learn
There are 44 airports in North Carolina
Charlotte Douglas International Airport ( CLT ): This airport is likely one of the major airports in North Carolina, offering scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines. While the specific city associated with CLT is unclear, it generally serves the Charlotte metropolitan area.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport ( RDU ): Similar to CLT, RDU is also a significant airport in North Carolina, serving the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The airport offers various traveller-friendly services, including convenient parking options and a membership program for savvy travellers called RDU Insider.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) categorizes airports into four groups based on their role:
- Commercial Service – Primary (P-s): These are publicly owned airports with scheduled passenger services and more than 10,000 passenger boardings annually.
- Commercial Service – Non-primary (CS): These publicly owned airports also offer scheduled passenger services but have at least 2,500 passenger boardings each year.
- Reliever (R): These airports primarily serve general aviation, providing relief to commercial service airports.
- General Aviation (GA): Airports in this category mostly cater to general aviation aircraft, offering diverse aviation-related services.
The FAA further subdivides Commercial Service – Primary airports into four "hub" types based on their percentage of total US passenger enplanements:
- Large Hub (L): Accounts for at least 1% of total US passenger enplanements.
- Medium Hub (M): Accounts for between 0.25% and 1% of total US passenger enplanements.
- Small Hub (S): Accounts for between 0.05% and 0.25% of total US passenger enplanements.
- Non-hub (N): Accounts for less than 0.05% of total US passenger enplanements but still has more than 10,000 annual enplanements.
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Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas is the primary airport for commercial and military use in the Charlotte metropolitan area. In 2019, it was the 11th busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger traffic, processing over 50 million passengers, and the fifth-busiest in terms of aircraft operations, ranking sixth globally. The airport covers 5,558 acres (2,249 ha) of land and is operated by the city of Charlotte's aviation department.
The airport has a public viewing area, one of the few in the United States, where visitors can watch planes take off, land, and taxi. The facility is smoke-free, in accordance with the North Carolina Smoke-Free Law, with a designated smoking area accessible from inside and outside the terminal. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is also one of the few major "hub" airports in the world with an aviation museum located on the field. The Sullenberger Aviation Museum, established in 1992, has a collection of over 50 aircraft, including rare aircraft such as one of only two surviving Douglas D-558 Skystreak planes.
The Rental Car Facility is located in front of the airport terminal and operates across the three lower levels of the Hourly Deck, offering a combined 3,000 cars from eight rental companies, including Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and National.
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Airports are categorised by the FAA
Airports in North Carolina, United States, are categorised by the FAA, or the Federal Aviation Administration, based on several factors. The FAA has a system for categorising public-use airports, heliports, and other aviation bases, primarily based on the level of commercial passenger traffic. This system determines whether an airport is eligible for funding through the federal government's Airport Improvement Program (AIP).
The FAA categorises airports by the type of activities, including commercial service, primary, cargo service, reliever, and general aviation airports. Commercial service airports are publicly-owned airports that have at least 2,500 passenger boardings each calendar year and receive scheduled passenger service. Primary airports are further subcategorised based on the number of passenger boardings as a fraction of the national total. Non-hub primary airports handle over 10,000 but less than 0.05% of the country's annual passenger boardings. Small hub primary airports handle 0.05-0.25% of the country's annual passenger boardings. Medium hub primary airports handle 0.25-1% of the country's annual passenger boardings. Large hub primary airports handle over 1% of the country's annual passenger boardings. Cargo service airports are served by aircraft that transport only cargo with a total annual landed weight of more than 100 million pounds. Reliever airports are designated to relieve congestion at commercial service airports and improve general aviation access for the community. General aviation airports are public-use airports that do not have scheduled service or have less than 2,500 annual passenger boardings.
The FAA also has a separate classification system for airport safety and operational requirements, with four classes of airports: Class I, II, III, and IV. Class I airports serve all types of scheduled operations of large air carrier aircraft, while Class II airports serve scheduled operations of small air carrier aircraft and unscheduled operations of large air carrier aircraft. Class III airports serve only scheduled operations of small air carrier aircraft, and Class IV airports serve only unscheduled operations of large air carrier aircraft.
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Airports are grouped by type and sorted by location
Airports in North Carolina (NC) are grouped by type and sorted by location. The list includes all public-use and military airports in the state, with some notable private-use and former airports also included. Airports are categorised by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) into one of four types, as per the 2021–2025 National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) report:
Commercial Service – Primary (P-s)
These are publicly owned airports that receive scheduled passenger services and have more than 10,000 passenger boardings (enplanements) annually. The FAA further sub-classifies these into four "hub" types based on the percentage of total US passenger enplanements:
- Large hub (L): At least 1% of total US passenger enplanements.
- Medium hub (M): Between 0.25% and 1%.
- Small hub (S): Between 0.05% and 0.25%.
- Nonhub (N): Less than 0.05%, but still more than 10,000 annual enplanements.
Commercial Service – Non-Primary (CS)
Publicly owned airports that offer scheduled passenger services and have at least 2,500 passenger boardings each year.
Some of the notable airports in North Carolina include:
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Located in Charlotte, NC, this airport offers a range of amenities for travellers, including Wi-Fi, currency exchange, and ATMs.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport
This airport serves the Raleigh-Durham area and provides convenient parking options for travellers.
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Some airports are in smaller towns outside of the cities they serve
North Carolina has a variety of airports, from major international airports to smaller local ones. When it comes to the question of which city an airport serves, the answer is not always straightforward, as some airports are located in smaller towns outside of the cities they are generally associated with. This is determined by the airport's master record with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but it is not always reflective of the actual location. For example, the Raleigh-Durham International Airport is located in Raleigh, but it serves the wider Research Triangle area, which includes the city of Durham.
The FAA categorizes airports into four groups based on their role: Commercial service – primary, Commercial service – non-primary, Reliever, and General aviation. Within Commercial service – primary airports, there are further subdivisions into Large hub, Medium hub, Small hub, and Non-hub, depending on the percentage of total U.S. passenger enplanements. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is an example of a Large hub airport, serving more than 1% of total U.S. passenger enplanements.
While some airports are located in metropolitan areas, others are situated in smaller towns. This can be for a variety of reasons, including the availability of land, the need to serve a specific region, or historical factors. Smaller towns may benefit from having an airport that serves a nearby city, as it can bring economic development and increased connectivity to the area. Additionally, it provides a convenient option for residents of the city who may prefer the convenience and accessibility of a smaller airport over a larger, more congested one.
Take, for instance, an airport located in a small town outside a major city. This airport might be the primary aviation hub for that city, offering scheduled passenger service and handling more than 10,000 passenger boardings annually. Despite being outside the city limits, it effectively serves as the city's airport, providing essential air transportation links to the region. This dynamic showcases the complex interplay between airport locations and the communities they serve, highlighting the fact that some airports are indeed situated in smaller towns outside of the cities with which they are most closely associated.
In conclusion, while some airports are located directly within the cities they serve, others are situated in smaller towns on the outskirts. This variation is influenced by various factors, and it contributes to the diverse landscape of aviation infrastructure in North Carolina. Each airport, regardless of its location, plays a vital role in facilitating air travel and connecting communities to the wider world.
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Frequently asked questions
There are four international airports in North Carolina: Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Wilmington International Airport, and Greensboro International Airport.
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is the busiest airport in North Carolina, handling over 50 million passengers each year.
Some regional airports in North Carolina include Pitt-Greenville Regional Airport, the Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport, and Asheville Regional Airport.
