The 10 Busiest Airports in North Carolina, Ranked - A-Z Animals
North Carolina is an awesome destination, certainly worth checking out in and of itself. But the state is also a hub for international travel. The airports in North Carolina see millions of enplanements. According to the Federal Aviation Association, North Carolina was home to the sixth busiest commercial airport in the United States in 2021! The state is also the sixth-most visited state in the country, and folks need to get here somehow!
Discover the top ten busiest airports in North Carolina. Whether you’re planning a trip to North Carolina, or if you’re just an avid aviator, this list will help you understand the airport scene of NC. Learn where they busiest airports are and how many enplanements they see annually.
10. Pitt-Greenville Airport
Enplanement is the term used to measure the busyness of an airport. It refers to the number of passengers boarding a plane at that airport within a given timeframe.
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Located in Greenville, North Carolina is the Pitt-Greenville Airport, which is the tenth busiest airport in the state of North Carolina. In 2021, this airport saw 34,778 enplanements, which is an 86% increase from 2020. Clearly, Pitt-Greenville is seeing some growth! Greenville is a few hours east of Raleigh and sits at the head of the Pamlico River. If you’re looking for an airport toward the east coast of North Carolina, Pitt-Greenville might be a great spot for you!
9. Coastal Carolina Regional Airport
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The ninth-busiest airport in North Carolina is the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport. In 2021, the airport saw 76,228 enplanements, making it significantly more busy than the airport in the tenth spot! Coastal Carolina Regional Airport is located in New Bern, North Carolina, which is located on the east coast of the state. The city stretches along the beautiful Neuse River. If you’re hoping to visit the shore, the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport is a convenient stop!
8. Concord-Padgett Regional Airport
There is only one airline traveling to Concord-Padgett, and that airline is Allegiant. It’s incredible how many enplanements the regional airport has seen with only one airline!
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Doubling the enplanements of the ninth place spot is the Concord-Padgett Regional Airport, which is the eighth busiest airport in North Carolina. In 2021, the state saw 139,173 enplanements, marking a significant number of folks traveling in and out of the airport. Concord-Padgett Regional Airport is in Concord, North Carolina. Concord is a suburb of Charlotte, just to the northeast of the city.
7. Albert J. Ellis Airport
Aerial view of the Oceanana Pier in Atlantic Beach on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina at sunset.
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The seventh busiest airport in North Carolina is the Albert J. Ellis Airport. In 2021, the airport saw 162,567 enplanements, marking a significant number of travelers. Albert J. Ellis is located in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Jacksonville is a popular spot toward the south coast of the state. It sits at the head of the New River. The Albert J. Ellis Airport hosts two airlines — Delta and American Eagle — and also provides services to the United States military. For folks looking to head to the southeast corner of the state, the Albert J. Ellis Airport is a convenient stop.
6. Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Field Airport
While Fayetteville hosts a lot of travelers and airlines, the airport only organizes domestic flights. In fact, there are only four airports in the state of North Carolina that do international flights.
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In the sixth place spot for the busiest airport in North Carolina is the Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Field Airport. This airport hosted 188,451 enplanements in 2021, marking an extremely popular spot for travelers coming in and out of the state. It’s located in Fayetteville, which is a somewhat central large city in North Carolina. There are a whole slew of airlines flying in and out of the Fayetteville Regional Airport, which is sometimes referred to as Grannis Field.
5. Wilmington International Airport
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With significantly higher enplanements than any airport on the list yet is the Wilmington International Airport. The Wilmington International Airport takes the fifth-place spot for the busiest airport in North Carolina, hosting 462,572 travelers in 2021. It’s located in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is a port city near a long list of beaches. The city sits directly on the coast, with the Cape Fear River running on its west side. It’s an international hub, hosting a long list of airlines. It’s one of North Carolina’s four international airports.
4. Piedmont Triad International Airport
If you’re looking to dive into North Carolina history, Greensboro is a great potential spot. The city is home to a long list of museums to make for an enriching and fun family trip.
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Another international airport with significant hustle and bustle is the Piedmont Triad International Airport. With 627,000 enplanements in 2021, the Piedmont Triad Airport sees significant travel. This airport is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, a popular destination in the central region of the state. While travel was limited in 2020, the airport saw 65% growth between the two years, marking a significant uptick in travelers. Like most international airports, Piedmont Triad International Airport serves a long list of different airlines, making it a convenient spot for travel.
3. Asheville Regional Airport
Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is the largest home in the U.S.
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The third place spot for the busiest airport in North Carolina goes to Asheville Regional Airport, which is located in Asheville, North Carolina. This airport saw 722,892 flyers in 2021, so it’s a significant hub for travel. While it’s one of the busiest airports in North Carolina, it only serves domestic flights! Asheville Regional Airport hosts six airlines, including Delta, United, and Allegiant. Despite its limited list of destinations and airlines, Asheville Regional Airport is still one of the busiest airports in the state.
2. Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Raleigh is a massive tourist destination. In 2022, 17.8 million folks traveled to spend time in Raleigh and Wake County.
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With significantly more flyers than any airport on this list so far, Raleigh-Durham International Airport takes the second place spot for busiest airports in North Carolina. Raleigh-Durham Airport is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it’s one of the four international airports in the state. In 2021, this airport hosted 4,311,049 travelers. That snagged Raleigh-Durham the spot as the 39th busiest airport in all of the United States! While over 2 million travelers came through Raleigh-Durham in 2020, the airport is clearly back in business.
1. Charlotte Douglas International Airport
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Finally, the busiest airport in North Carolina and the sixth busiest in the United States is the Charlotte Douglas International Airport! This airport hosted an incredible 20,900,875 enplanements in 2021, which is around five times the enplanements of the second-place airport. The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is located in Charlotte, one of the biggest cities in North Carolina. In 2022, the city of Charlotte brought in 43 million visitors. The tourist industry in Charlotte employs over 218,000 workers to host the many visitors to the city! You can safely assume that many of the flights to Charlotte were for visitors!
