| Moore County Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: SOP – ICAO: KSOP – FAA LID: SOP | |||
| Summary | |||
| Operator | Moore County | ||
| Location | Whispering Pines, North Carolina | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 461 ft / 140.5 m | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 5/23 | 5,503 | 1,677 | Asphalt |
Moore County Airport (IATA: SOP, ICAO: KSOP, FAA LID: SOP) is a public airport located 3 miles (5 km) north of Southern Pines and 5 miles northeast of Pinehurst, in Moore County, North Carolina, USA. The airport covers 500 acres (202 ha) and has one runway, in the past it had a grass runway. The airport is used for general aviation, however it has had commercial air service, through US Airways affliate CCair, which ceased in 2002 as a result of the 9/11 attacks and Delta Airlines which ceased in 2007.
On November 23, 2007, Delta Air Lines ended its seasonal service to Atlanta citing "poor load factors" and "insufficient facilities". A local task force did recently state that it would actively pursue a new carrier to serve the major golf destination, but has so far failed to follow through on that statement. [1]
Most of the Moore County Airport property lies within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Whispering Pines, NC, prompting debate over who had ultimate regulatory power over it — the village of Whispering Pines or the Moore County Airport Authority. Because of this, the Airport Authority and the Whispering Pines Village Council have butted heads on occasion.
The rift was exacerbated by the Airport Authority's $2 million proposal which was approved by lawmakers, to build several large hangars using taxpayer funds. There was some concern within the village that the hangars would attract more aircraft and create additional noise. As a result, the Whispering Pines Village Council hinted at its desire to limit the airport's growth.[2]
However, a recent court ruling said the village had no legal jurisdiction over the airport because it operates under an independent authority that was established in 1993. Whispering Pines decided not to appeal the ruling as a result.[3]
No other information was obtained