About 121 years after the Wright Brothers made their first flight in Kill Devil Hills, state officials say North Carolina's aviation industry contributes $88 billion each year to the state's economy and supports more than 427,000 jobs statewide.
The N.C. Department of Transportation's 2024 State of Aviation report also shows significant growth in passenger services, with 74.3 million people flying each year.
Local communities also benefit from the nearly 4,000 aircraft that generate $6.8 million in local property tax revenues. The report shows that a single $15 million aircraft based at Hickory Regional Airport, for instance, generates the same property taxes as 60 typical homes.
