Aviation Division

Aviation Division North Carolina Department Of Transportation Division, doing business as NC Division Of Aviation, is a U.S. state government entity and transit authority that acts as the primary recipient of federal grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to administer state block grant programs distributing airport infrastructure funding to nonprimary airports throughout North Carolina. The Division operates exclusively as a grant recipient (100% prime awards) with no federal contract prime or sub-award footprint; it serves as the designated intermediary between the FAA and local airport authorities, counties, and municipalities across the state.

The Division's federal funding stream flows entirely through the Federal Aviation Administration's Southern Region under the Airport Improvement Program (CFDA 20.106), supplemented by Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) grant programs, COVID-19 Airports Programs (CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act), and FAA Contract Tower and Airport Terminal programs. Recent grant work spans runway and taxiway rehabilitation, runway and taxiway lighting reconstruction and rehabilitation, terminal construction and expansion, apron pavement work, hangar construction and expansion, aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle acquisition, weather reporting equipment installation, and obstruction removal and marking. Representative grants include a $20.8 million project grant awarded September 10, 2025, supporting comprehensive infrastructure improvements across 21 sub-awardees including Jackson County Airport, Rocky Mount Wilson Regional Airport Authority, and multiple county governments; a $25.18 million formula grant awarded September 2, 2025, funded through CARES Act with 100 percent federal cost-share; a $12.376 million project grant awarded September 19, 2025, dedicated to Runway 6/24 Safety Area improvements at Hickory Regional Airport with a sub-award to the City of Hickory for Engineered Materials Arresting System construction; and a $2.299 million project grant awarded June 17, 2026, supporting state block grant administration and sub-awards for runway lighting, taxilane reconstruction, terminal construction, and aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle acquisition.

The Division's customer concentration is singularly focused on the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA Southern Region accounts for 53 awards (85% of the 62-award portfolio), while the FAA headquarters accounts for 9 awards (15%), representing 100% of all documented federal grants. Combined dollars obligated across all awards total $400.5 million. Administrative capacity grants supplement the project grants; cooperative agreements awarded February 15, 2026, for $257,800, and August 1, 2025, for $263,920, fund personnel, contracting, and operational costs to manage the Airport Infrastructure Grant, FAA Contract Tower, and Airport Terminal programs through 2027–2029.

Activity has accelerated in recent years, growing from 2 awards in 2022 to 15 awards in 2025, with 3 awards recorded in 2026 year-to-date. Six awards carrying ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months represent ongoing recompete exposure, including grants with completion dates through mid-2027 and mid-2028. The Division distributes sub-awards directly to county governments, airport authorities, and municipalities; notable sub-recipients include Halifax Northampton Regional Airport, Davidson County Airport Authority, City of Hickory, Carteret County-Beaufort Airport Authority, Avery County Airport, County of Forsyth, and City of Washington. The Division's role is state-level grant administration and pass-through funding rather than direct capital delivery; performance is measured by timely obligating and closeout of sub-awards while maintaining FAA compliance on planning, environmental assessment, and project reporting. Headquarters location is 1050 Meridian Drive, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560.