Craven County Regional Airport
Encyclopedia
Coastal Carolina Regional Airport is a public airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 located three miles (5 km) southeast of central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

 (CBD) of New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...

, a town in Craven County
Craven County, North Carolina
Craven County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The estimated population in 2006 was 94,875. Its county seat is New Bern.Craven County is part of the New Bern, North Carolina, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Coastal Carolina Regional Airport serves four counties in Eastern North Carolina. They include Craven County, Pamlico County
Pamlico County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,934 people, 5,178 households, and 3,717 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 6,781 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...

, Carteret County
Carteret County, North Carolina
Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. Most of the county is part of the Crystal Coast....

, and Jones County
Jones County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 10,381 people, 4,061 households, and 2,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 4,679 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...

. The total population encachment area of the four counties as of the June 2004 census was 176,851. Coastal Carolina Regional Airport is the main connection to Crystal Coast North Carolina destinations such as Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...

, Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2008, there were 1,815 people, 971 households, and 498 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 4,728 housing units at an average density of 2,206.0 per square mile...

, various seasonal camps including Camp Seagull/Seafarer and Camp Don Lee, and Emerald Isle, North Carolina
Emerald Isle, North Carolina
Emerald Isle is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Crystal Coast and is located entirely on the Bogue Banks...

.

On July 10, 2008 the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...

 ratified a bill that allowed the Craven County Airport to change its name to the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport. The name change became effective on August 15, 2008.

History

The airport was previously named Craven County Regional Airport, Simmons-Nott Airport, and New Bern Regional Airport. Simmons-Nott came from North Carolina Senator Furnifold McLendel Simmons
Furnifold McLendel Simmons
Furnifold McLendel Simmons was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1887 to 1889 and U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1901 and 1931. He served as chairman of the powerful Committee on Finance from 1913 - 1919...

 who was present at the 1931 dedication of the new terminal. During an air performance for the dedication, United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...

 Joel Nott was killed. Senator Simmons required that 1stLt Nott's named be added to the airport to pay homage for the fallen military officer.

On August 8, 1941, the Marine Corps leased the airport to become an outlying field of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...

 and named it OLF Camp Mitchell. In the beginning of 1942 the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

 used the field for anti-submarine patrols. The field was later closed for seven months during 1942 while two hard surface runways and a runway lighting system were installed. The first Marine aviation units began to arrive at the field in February of 1943. Among the units to train at the field during the war was Marine Aircraft Group 34 and fighter squadrons VMF-324 and VMF-511
VMF-511
Marine Fighting Squadron 511 was a fighter squadron of the Marine Forces Reserve during the Cold War which flew numerous variants of the F-8 Crusader.. They were originally activated during World War II and fought during the Battle of Okinawa and the Battle of Balikpapan...

. In January 1944, plans were announced to expand the field. However these plans were abandoned because the Marine Corps acquired surplus Army fields.

In 2011, Coast Carolina Regional Airport hosted three Honor Flights for World War II veterans.

Craven Regional Airport has previously been serviced by Midway Airlines
Midway Airlines
Midway Airlines was the name of two different, defunct airlines:*Midway Airlines , airline based in Chicago, Illinois and operating out of Chicago Midway International Airport between 1976 and 1991...

, American Eagle, Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft...

, Charter Express, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...

, Wheeler Airline, Henson Airlines and National Airlines
National Airlines
National Airlines was used by several airlines including:*National Airlines based in the United States.*National Airlines based in the United States.*National Airlines based in the United States....

.

Terminal

Coastal Carolina Regional Airport currently has three gates for use by airlines, all of which are located on the central pier and share a common boarding area. The $17 million terminal for EWN was completed on November 5, 1999 by the LPA Group. As of June 2006, Coastal Carolina Regional has approved their 20 year Master Plan: an extension of the main runway, the runway safety area expansion, a larger noise zone, and a new control tower. Also located in the terminal is an eatery (Glenburnie Grill), and several car rental agencies.

Airlines and destinations

Cargo airlines

USO

The NC USO
United Service Organization of North Carolina
The United Service Organizations of North Carolina is the oldest continuously operating United Service Organization in the world as well as the first USO .The USO of North Carolina supports military, retired military and their families in or from North Carolina.The USO of NC today operates...

 opened an Information desk at EWN on November 21, 2011. This marked the 5th USO facility in North Carolina. Volunteers man the USO desk and assist military personnel and family to figure out how to get to Cherry Point or Camp Lejeune. The volunteers help arrange transportation, provide a small package of personal items and assist families with children get from plane to car and generally serve as an information and referral system with a nice smiling face.

General aviation

Coastal Carolina Regional is mostly used for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

 but is also served by two commercial airlines. There are currently an average of 131 aircraft movements (take-offs and landings) at EWN, of which 16-20 are commercial airline movements. EWN is currently looking for additional airlines to provide service due to the increase in flying passengers that pass through EWN yearly.

General aviation provides most of the aircraft movements at EWN. The Fixed Based Operators at EWN are Tidewater Air, LLC and Tradewind International. A Parachute Jumping school is currently seeking approval to be based at EWN.

In September, 2007, Coastal Carolina Regional Airport awarded a $677,000 contract to build a new 4000 sq ft (371.6 m²) general aviation terminal for Tidewater Aviation. The new terminal has a lobby, greeting area, restrooms, showers, conference room, crew resting areas, work areas, and storage area. The terminal has the same facade and visually identical to the main terminal building. The new General Aviation terminal was dedicated on July 9, 2008.

External links

  • NCDOT Airport Information:
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