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During its September meeting, the North Carolina Board of Transportation approved more than $29.2 million in grant funding for safety and various improvements to 13 airports across the state, including $5.3 million for pavement rehabilitation on the runway, replacement of NAVAIDs and construction of turnarounds at the Hyde County Airport.

“North Carolina’s 72 public airports serve as vital economic engines connecting people and business enterprises with the world,” an NCDOT statement reads. “Airports and aviation-related industries contribute more than $61 billion to North Carolina’s economy each year, according to the 2021 State of Aviation report. They support 373,000 jobs, generate more than $2.5 billion in state and local tax revenue and provide more than $15 billion in personal income.”

For the Hyde County airport, the grant money will specifically be used for the rehabilitation of runway 11/29 and the replacement of box Precision

Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) units on both ends. The DOT’s Safety Enhancement Program will provide state aid for local match.

Other approved grants for nearby counties include $350,000 for the “removal of building obstructions within the runway approach” at Dare County Regional Airport.