N.C. Highway Patrol to base Special Operations Division at Johnston Regional Airport

Johnston County, N.C. – September 22, 2025. Johnston County Regional Airport (JNX) will be home to a $22 million facility that will house the North Carolina Highway Patrol’s Special Operations Division. Local and state officials announced plans for the 60,000-sq.-ft. complex earlier today in front of about 150 invited guests that included outgoing N.C. Secretary of Transportation Joey Hopkins, numerous state legislators and county commissioners, mayors from three nearby municipalities, and sheriffs from Johnston, Harnett, Wake and Wayne counties.

“We are excited for what this new facility will bring to our state and for our growing partnership with Johnston Regional Airport,” said Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Commander of the State Highway Patrol. “This groundbreaking is setting the stage for the expanded capabilities of our State Highway Patrol Aviation Unit, which equates to furthering our mission of saving lives and providing the best in law enforcement services to the people of North Carolina.” 



The facility will be located near the intersection of Swift Creek Road and U.S. Highway 70 Business in Smithfield. Groundbreaking will take place in late October, said David Harris, Director of JNX. Bobbitt Construction will design and build the space, which will contain state-of-the-art air and water rescue equipment, training rooms, offices, and a hangar area. SHP currently houses these resources across several sites, and the new center at JNX will enable the Patrol to consolidate Special Operations resources under one roof. JNX will own the facility and lease it to the SHP on a long-term basis, Harris said.

“The Center will be home to helicopter operations, tactical units, motorcycle teams and other specialized groups that answer the call when North Carolinians need them most,” said Ken Starling, JNX Airport Board Chairman. “To have this level of capability based right here in Johnston County is both an honor and a responsibility.”

Local elected officials similarly welcomed the announcement. “This facility is going to be more than asphalt and concrete and steel,” said Butch Lawter, Chairman of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. “It’s a commitment to lives, emergencies and public safety, which ties in well with our six high county priorities. So, to say we’re behind this project is a gross understatement,” Chairman Lawter told the gathering.

Today’s announcement is the latest evidence of JNX’s rapid growth. In July, the airport closed on the purchase of an additional 26.4 acres on the property’s east side adjacent Highway 70 Business. The acquisition will facilitate expansion of hangar space to accommodate as many as 40 business jets. Plans also are coming together to construct an 85-foot control tower on the airport’s east side, JNX’s David Harris said.

“It’s taken a lot of effort to get here today,” said State Representative Larry Strickland, noting that state funding for the facility occurred across three separate appropriations bills over five years. “It is a great time to be a citizen of Johnston County. We all work hard. We trust each other. And when you’ve got all that going on, great things can happen for the County,” Rep. Strickland said.



“The State Highway Patrol is the front line of our law enforcement in North Carolina,” said State Senator Benton Sawrey. “I’m excited to see this facility being built here in Johnston County, and I hope this is the first of many expansion projects to come.” In addition to a growing population and job-base, modern transportation systems and other assets, “we have the community partnerships and vision to make it happen,” Sen. Sawrey said.

In his keynote remarks at this event, SHP Commander Johnson noted the value of legislative leadership in ushering plans for the new facility to fruition. “One of the things that made this decision so easy was strong support from the General Assembly and the support of Johnston County,” Col. Johnson said.
Data compiled by the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division confirm JNX’s growing economic, commercial and civic significance. The facility ranks third in the state in terms of take-offs and landings – totaling nearly 102,000 last year, DOT found. The airport supports 1,385 jobs and generates nearly $21 million in tax revenue and almost $318 million in total impact. Blue Line Aviation, a national flight school, trains commercial pilots at JNX, operating flight simulators, hangar space, classrooms, dining facilities and maintenance areas there. JNX is also home base for Duke Life Flight, which operates two state-of-the-art rotor wing critical-care air ambulances from offices and hangar space in Smithfield.
 
“JNX is rapidly becoming one of Johnston County’s most important economic development assets,” said Ed Aldridge, Chairman of the Johnston County Economic Development Advisory Board and a member of the JNX Authority Board. “It’s always been an important resource for our community, but it is now increasingly a regional transportation asset,” Aldridge says, noting its proximity to Research Triangle Park, Centennial Campus, the region’s universities and other business attractions. “The launch of the SHP’s Special Operations Center is just the latest step along an ambitious multi-year path toward making JNX a key resource for residents and businesses in Johnston County and beyond.”

Operating since 1978, Johnston Regional Airport (JNX) serves the greater Raleigh metropolitan area and is a convenient gateway to the Research Triangle Region. It is located 28 nautical miles southeast of Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and sits near I-40, I-42 and I-95. JNX is served by a 5,500’ x 100’ runway and a modern terminal building with state-of-the-art amenities. Owned and operated by the Johnston County Airport Authority, JNX serves corporate, military, and general aviation aircraft.
JNX also is home to the Johnston County Economic Development Office (JCEDO), which facilitates value-added interaction between government, education, and the private sector in encouraging and promoting job creation and economic investment in Johnston County. A unit of county government, JCEDO collaborates with local, regional, and statewide partners and allies in providing confidential location assistance to businesses and technical support to the county’s 11 municipalities. Its menu of services includes customized digital mapping, labor and wage analysis, site readiness assistance and incentive packaging. For additional information, visit www.GrowWithJoCo.com