NC AirTAP Technical Resources

Economic Impact of NC Airports
NC Airport Guide
Airport Marketing Toolkit
Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
Airport Pavement Management System
ACRP Resources

Economic Impact of NC Airports

North Carolina: The State of Aviation (January 2023 report). Produced by ITRE for the NCDOT Division of Aviation, this report highlights the significant economic impacts generated by the state’s public airports and the many assets that support a vibrant and competitive aviation and aerospace sector. Learn more on the Division of Aviation website, and watch the video on YouTube.

North Carolina Airport Guide

Published annually by the NCDOT Division of Aviation, this helpful guide provides contact and technical information for each of the state’s 72 public airports as well as a listing of private airports. Follow this link to download the guide. Other maps and aeronautical charts are available on the NCDOT website.

Airport Marketing Toolkit: Telling Your Airport’s Story

This document will help you begin telling your airport’s story by guiding you through creating a basic communication plan. Developed in collaboration with marketing experts Tina Kinsey, A.A.E. (AVL) and Erin McNally (ILM), the toolkit provides best practice communication and marketing strategies that can help airports of any size, even those with small or non-existent marketing budgets. Topics covered are listed below. Follow this link to download the toolkit [PDF].

• Communication Plan Checklist
• Creating a One-Page Fact Sheet
• Website Guidance
• Getting Started with Social Media
• Setting Up a Facebook Page
• Setting Up a Twitter Page
• Press Release Template
• PowerPoint Slides Template [download PPT file]

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS)

The ITRE Aviation Team is a nationally recognized leader in UAS integration into the National Airspace System, with over 1000 UAS flights and 300 hours of flight time to date. The team works with the NCDOT Division of Aviation, the FAA, and industry partners to make UAS operations routine, safe, and accepted activities. Contact ITRE for UAS consultation, research and flight services, and training offerings. Follow the links below for other helpful UAS resources.

• Operating UAS in North CarolinaOpens in new window. Visit the NCDOT Division of Aviation website to find information and guidelines for piloting Commercial, Government, and Recreational drones across the state. Link from this site to helpful documents, FAQs, permit requirements, and other resources for safe, responsible UAS operation.
• ACRP Report 212: Airports and UAS, Volumes 1-3Opens in new win. This report from TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) provides guidance for airports on UAS in the areas of managing UAS operations in the vicinity of an airport and engaging stakeholders (Volume 1), incorporating UAS into airport infrastructure and planning (Volume 2), and potential use of UAS by airport operators (Volume 3).

Airport Pavement Management System (APMS)

This NCDOT Division of Aviation APMS web applicationOpens in new window provides a central location to store and display pavement-related data and inspection results for publicly owned airports in the state. State agencies, municipalities, authorities, and airport managers can use this application in prioritizing pavement projects and decision-making about construction, maintenance and funding.

Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Resources

Administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), ACRP produces numerous publications on practical solutions for addressing administrative, operational, and technical issues at airports. Follow the links below and visit trb.org/ACRP Opens in new window for more details on these and other helpful resources from ACRP.

• ACRP Report 16: Guidebook for Managing Small AirportsOpens in new window. Helps small airport operators, managers and policy makers find resources and identify techniques that they may apply to meet their responsibilities. WebResource 6: Resources for Managing Small Airports, a companion to ACRP Research Report 16, provides links to publications, websites, sample documents, checklists, and other tools that airport owners, operators, managers, and policy makers of small airports may find useful.
• ACRP Report 58: Airport Industry Familiarization and Training for Part-Time Airport Policy Makers. Provides airport policy leaders, stakeholders, and policy-related decision makers with a common framework to understand airport administrative and operational requirements for making more informed policy decisions.
• ACRP Report 156: Guidebook for Managing Compliance with Federal Regulations: An Integrated ApproachOpens in new window. Provides guidance on managing compliance with federal regulations pertaining to the operation and management of airports. Accompanying the guidebook is the Regulation Compliance Management (RCM) Tool.
• ACRP Synthesis 3: General Aviation Safety and Security PracticesOpens in new window. Examines resources used by the general aviation community in the development of safety and security programs.
• ACRP Legal Research Digest 11: Survey of Minimum Standards: Commercial Aeronautical Activities at Airports. Explores adopting and enforcing minimum standards for businesses performing commercial aeronautical activities at airports including aircraft fueling, line (ground handing) services, maintenance and repair, storage, rental and flight training/instruction, sales, and charter and management.
• ACRP Snythesis 67: Airside Snow Removal Practices for Small Airports with Limited BudgetsOpens in new window. Covers challenges and successful strategies airport operators use at small airports with significant budget and other constraints to coordinate and conduct snow removal operations.
• ACRP Synthesis 1: Innovative Finance and Alternative Sources of Revenue for AirportsOpens in new window. Explores alternative financing options and revenue sources currently available or that could be available in the future to airport operators, stakeholders, and policymakers.
• ACRP Synthesis 7: Airport Economic Impact Methods and ModelsOpens in new window. Explores how airport economic impact studies are currently conducted.
• ACRP Synthesis 41: Conducting Aeronautical Special Events at AirportsOpens in new window. Consolidates available information and lessons learned on how to successfully plan, organize, and conduct an aeronautical special event and restore normal operations after the event.
• ACRP Synthesis 56: Understanding the Value of Social Media at Airports for Customer EngagementOpens in new window. Compiles current literature and practice on how airport operators use social media to enhance customer engagement.
• ACRP Synthesis 69: Airport Sustainability Practices—Drivers and Outcomes for Small Commercial and General Aviation AirportsOpens in new window. Explores drivers and outcomes of green initiatives undertaken at small commercial and general aviation airports. Drivers could include financial viability, staffing considerations, or other social or environmental factors.