Aviation & Aircraft
Aircraft-ready workforce, military-grade infrastructure, and coastal access.
MRO, aircraft components, and unmanned systems. With MCAS New River and Camp Lejeune next door, Onslow County gives aviation and aerospace suppliers a direct line to military customers, a pipeline of cleared technicians, and a right-to-work cost structure.
Why this cluster works here
Aircraft maintainers, avionics technicians, and MRO suppliers operate minutes from the customer — cutting turnaround times and building trust.
Transitioning service members bring active or recent security clearances, military aviation maintenance experience, and disciplined work habits.
Albert J. Ellis Airport provides commercial and general aviation access, while the region's aerospace supply chain includes 450+ suppliers statewide.
Talent and training
- DoD SkillBridge internships for transitioning aviation technicians
- Aviation and electronics programs at Coastal Carolina Community College
- NCWorks veteran and military-spouse hiring support
Sites that fit this cluster
- Camp Davis III
- Lots 14 & 17 at Camp Davis II
Onslow County sits inside one of the strongest aviation & aircraft regions in the Southeast.
- 55.7% of all military contracting in North Carolina occurs in the Southeast region
- $10.3 billion in annual Department of Defense spending
- Second-largest military presence on the East Coast — 7 installations
- 280+ aerospace companies and 450+ aerospace suppliers statewide
Source: North Carolina's Southeast (20-county region including Onslow County).
Hangar development at Albert J. Ellis Airport (OAJ)
Albert J. Ellis Airport is an Onslow County–owned commercial service airport with airside land planned for new hangar construction — T-hangars, corporate hangars, and MRO or flight-operations facilities with direct taxilane access to the runway. Acreage, lease terms, rates, and utility capacity are set and negotiated by the airport, not by Onslow Coastal Alliance (OCA) — inquiries go directly to the OAJ team.
264 Albert J. Ellis Airport Road, Richlands, NC
Graded hangar development area with taxilane connection to the OAJ apron, runway, and general aviation ramp.
Airport site plan shows 8-unit T-hangar buildings, corporate box hangars, and a future south taxilane corridor.
Apron paving, vehicle parking, and utility structures are already installed on portions of the development area.
Considering Onslow County for a aviation & aircraft project?
We will pull the site, utility, wage, and incentive detail your team needs — confidentially, and at no cost.
Let's talk