Person County Airport - A Booster for the Local Economy

Person County Economic Development Commission was pleased to sponsor the May 2019 Industrial Relations Committee Luncheon of the Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce, hosted at the Person County Airport.

The NCDOT Director of Aviation, Mr. Bobby Walston, delivered a message titled, “What Aviation Means to Our Economy” and shared significant data about the economic impact of NC Airports. Through his remarks, the audience learned that North Carolina’s 72 public airports contributed $52 billion to the economy in one year and supported communities through agricultural, emergency/medical, meteorological and business applications, just to name a few.

On the Person County side of things, Person County Airport reportedly had an annual economic impact of $69.6 million. Averaging 2,400 movements per month, the 6,000’-runway, general aviation airport supports local industries with freight services and efficient means of corporate travel. Other sources of activity include medical transport, flight training, recreational aviation and military training.

Mr. Walston pointed out that not only are general aviation airports recruitment tools for economic development, but they also boost the local economy by increasing the tax base without requiring the infrastructure support that comes along with residential growth. For example, the 33 aircraft based at the Person County Airport have a tax value equivalent to 20 average-valued, single-family homes in Person County, yet do not require water, sewer, schools or other government services.

The Person County Board of Commissioners plans to highlight and further equip Person County Airport’s abilities to be an economic driver for the county. Earlier in the month, they voted to pursue a more regional moniker for the airport – from Person County Airport to Raleigh Regional Airport at Person County – in order to reflect its proximity to and service of the Triangle Region. Perhaps even more significantly, Commissioners approved the construction of a new hangar as a part of the annual budget process and to be completed in the coming fiscal year. The decision was made in response to a surge in demand for hangar space around the Triangle Region.

The enhancements taking place at the Person County Airport are another arrow in the quiver of Person County’s continued growth strategy, along with the development of the Person County Mega Park, comprehensive county-wide fiber build-out, regional and K-14 workforce initiatives and more. Contact Person County Economic Development to learn more about the reasons we say, “Everything is Better in Person!”