SNAPSHOT.

• Position: North Carolina airports - Brief Article - Illustration - Statistical Data Included

Tar Heels are flying high. Passenger boardings at the state's 14 commercial airports have risen more than a third over the past decade.

NATIONAL RANK Two percent of the nation's 5,667 airports are in North Carolina. Airports [*] 1. Alaska 430 2. Texas 414 3. California 276 4. Michigan 251 5. Ohio 190 6. New York 178 7. Minnesota 166 8. Oklahoma 160 9. Pennsylvania 155 10. Kansas 150 20. North Carolina 119 (*.)publicly owned and public-use airports Source: Federal Aviation Administration, 1999 COUNTY RANK Twenty-three North Carolina counties have at least two airports. Counties with the most: Airports [*] Guilford 6 Randolph 4 Dare 3 Pitt 3 Catawba 3 Onslow 3 Union 3 Wake 3 Lenoir 3 (*.)publicly owned and public-use airports Source: N.C. Department of Transportation BOARDINGS

Boardings at North Carolina's 14 commercial-service airports increased 14% between 1997 and 1998, the biggest jump since 1994.

Source: NC. Department of Transportation

MILITARY AIR BASES

Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station is the largest Marine air station in the world, covering 29,000 acres. North Carolina's military air bases:

Source: military bases

EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES

Tar Heel airports employ 3,464. A 1996 study by the N.C. Department of Transportation estimated that aviation supports 181,000 jobs throughout the state.

Source: Employment Security Commission

BUSIEST AIRPORTS Charlotte/Douglas International Airport accounted for two-thirds of the state's commercial-service boardings in 1998. Airport Boardings Charlotte/Douglas International 11,445,850 Raleigh-Durham International 3,615,439 Piedmont Triad International 1,304,978 Asheville Regional 283,146 New Hanover...