Western North Carolina Air Traffic Up 300 Percent After Hurricane Helene

Temporary control towers have been established in storm-affected areas of the state, as well as flight routes created to separate civilian and military aircraft.

Wednesday, October 09, 2024 at 03:47 PM ET

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The North Carolina Division of Aviation—working closely with the FAA, U.S. Department of Defense, and FEMA—has established temporary control towers to facilitate the smooth flow of air traffic and reduce congestion. [Courtesy: North Carolina Division of Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Western North Carolina is experiencing a 300% surge in air traffic for Hurricane Helene relief, prompting aviation officials to implement new flight management protocols.
The North Carolina Division of Aviation (NCDA), FAA, DoD, and FEMA have established designated flight routes, temporary control towers, and Prior Permission Required (PPR) for certain airports to manage congestion and separate aircraft.
Pilots conducting relief operations must coordinate landings and logistics (including fuel), check NOTAMs and TFRs frequently, and ensure a community-based organization is ready to receive supplies at the airport.

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Western North Carolina is experiencing a 300 percent increase in air traffic as aircraft continue to deliver supplies to the storm-ravaged communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, according to the state’s aviation officials.

The North Carolina Division of Aviation (NCDA)—working closely with the FAA, U.S. Department of Defense, and FEMA—has created designated flight routes to separate civilian and military aircraft, as well as establishing temporary control towers to facilitate the smooth flow of traffic and reduce congestion.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.