North Carolina Division of Aviation Makes Great Strides in 2022

Throughout 2022, the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation made significant progress in its mission to promote the economic well-being of North Carolina by developing a safe and robust air transportation system.

The Division of Aviation provided vital development support for the state’s 72 public airports with $174 million in grant funding and planning and project oversight throughout the year to ensure airports met their community’s needs for commercial and leisure travel and operated safely.

With multiple new partnerships, representation at various statewide and national events and the relaunch of several programs to educate current airport leadership, businesses and the future aviation workforce, the division’s staff worked diligently to promote North Carolina as a prime hub for the ever-growing aviation industry.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems team also achieved another national first early in the year by pairing tethered drones with statewide Incident Management Assistance Patrol trucks to improve accuracy of information for first responders during traffic and roadside emergencies.

The Division of Aviation also continued to support other state agencies and transportation projects by transporting state government personnel for state business and completing over 130 photogrammetry missions.

To see more about the Division of Aviation’s accomplishments throughout 2022, please check out the year-in-review video.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.