Moore County Airport has been awarded a $2.5 million Airport Economic Development Grant from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), providing a significant investment in infrastructure improvements.
The grant was awarded through the North Carolina Airports Economic Development Fund. This performance-based economic development program provides grants to the state’s general aviation airports for time-sensitive capital improvement projects that stimulate private investment and create jobs.
Administered by the NCDOT Division of Aviation, the grant will allow Moore County Airport to undertake several major infrastructure improvements, including expanding taxi lanes to serve new corporate hangars currently under construction and developing additional hangar capacity to accommodate growing demand.
The grant also supports the airport’s broader strategic expansion efforts, including ongoing hangar development, construction of a new Fixed Base Operator terminal building, and continued progress toward restoring commercial air service to Moore County.
“Airports like Moore County Airport are critical drivers of economic development across North Carolina,” said Pat Molamphy, at-large member of the North Carolina Board of Transportation, in a press release. “These investments strengthen local communities by supporting business growth, attracting private investment, and creating high-quality jobs. The Airport Economic Development Fund is designed to help airports meet opportunities like these, and Moore County is an outstanding example of how strategic infrastructure investments can deliver long-term economic benefits.
“This grant will provide the infrastructure needed to support expanding aviation businesses, accommodate increased aircraft activity, and position the airport for continued economic success. The project is expected to help facilitate hangar construction that will lead to the creation of over 75 good paying aviation jobs.”
For the Moore County Airport Authority, the grant represents an opportunity to accelerate improvements that would otherwise require years of local funding.
“We are truly thankful to DOT’s leadership and all those involved with this grant award,” said Adam Kiker, chairman of the Moore County Airport Authority. “The funding allows us to support businesses that want to invest in our community and positions us to serve future economic development activity in Moore County.”
The grant-funded improvements are expected to enhance the airport’s ability to attract additional corporate aviation investment, support existing tenants, and accommodate future growth while reinforcing Moore County Airport’s role as a key transportation and economic asset for the region.
Established in 1929 by the Tufts family, founders and operators of the Pinehurst Resort, the Moore County Airport began as a single dirt runway known as Knollwood Airport. Moore County acquired the airport in 1935, and it served as a U.S. Army Air Corps training facility during World War II before transitioning to civilian aviation operations in 1945. The airport later supported commercial airline service through Piedmont Airlines (later USAir) until that service ended after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
Today, Moore County owns the airport, and the Moore County Airport Authority operates it.
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Photo by Wendy Hodges/Sandhills Sentinel.
*Contributed article.
