RALEIGH -- The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation has approved state funding for 11 airports, for a total investment of almost $4.7 million.

“These grants will allow airports to become safer, and better serve the pilots, passengers, and businesses that use them,” said Division of Aviation Director Bobby Walston. “Airports are a critical part of our transportation system, and these projects will help improve the link between our state and national and global markets.”

The following airports received funding:

Ashe County: $18,112 for a runway extension, precision approach path indicator (PAPI) installation and an obstruction survey;

Curtis L. Brown Field (Elizabethtown): $126,000 for site work on the new terminal building and $35,000 for paving at the terminal parking area;

Elkin Municipal: $1.3 million for runway extensions;Fayetteville Regional: $1,139,670 for airport improvements;

Laurinburg-Maxton: $275,000 for replacement of the instrument landing system localizer;

Pitt-Greenville: $1,100,070 for taxiway pavement rehabilitation;

Richmond County: $160,373 for apron reconstruction and hangar relocation;

Rockingham County/NC Shiloh: $266,400 for apron rehabilitation;

Smith Reynolds (Winston-Salem): $172,000 for land acquisition and obstruction clearing;

Statesville Regional: $12,045 for taxiway lighting rehabilitation and guidance sign installation, new PAPIs, runway end identifier lights and windsocks;

Tri-County (Aulander): $57,940 for a waterline extension to the terminal building.

The Division of Aviation is responsible for state airport and aviation system planning and development. It also provides funding to communities for constructing and improving airports throughout the state.

North Carolina has 72 publicly owned airports and nearly 300 privately owned airports, landing fields, and helipads.  Ten airports have regularly scheduled commercial airline service, and two serve international destinations.  There are over 7,000 registered aircraft based in the state, and 14,000 registered pilots.  Every year, more than 56 million passengers fly to and from North Carolina and 1.3 billion pounds of cargo pass through the state’s airports.

Airports and aviation-related industries contribute $31 billion to North Carolina’s economy each year, per a 2016 report. There are also 123,400 airport-related jobs in the state.