Ward and Smith Lobbying Team Secures Funding to Expand Air Service at Pitt-Greenville Airport

Eastern North Carolina is on the verge of securing expanded air service, and the Ward and Smith state government relations team is very proud to have led the state lobbying effort to bring the expansion to fruition.

This year, the City of Greenville, Invest Greenville, and the Ward and Smith state lobbying team partnered to pursue State funding for a Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) to add a second airline at Pitt-Greenville Airport. MRGs are often necessary to secure ongoing service commitments from major airlines in growing markets. On WTIB’s Talk of the Town on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, host Henry Hinton shared that local groups had been pursuing funding for an MRG for Pitt-Greenville Airport for decades. At present, the airport is served by one commercial airline that flies to a single destination: Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

In partnership with the City and Invest Greenville, the Ward and Smith lobbying team identified legislative precedent for State-funded MRGs, developed advocacy materials, coordinated meetings with House and Senate leaders, and submitted the $4.5 million MRG ask for legislative approval in the FY 2026-27 budget cycle.

The 634-page FY 2026-27 State budget unveiled last week includes the requested MRG funding for the Pitt-Greenville Airport. Governor Josh Stein signed the budget into law on July 7, 2026, and local leaders have already entered negotiations with several major airlines about coming to Greenville. We expect the MRG will cover the addition of one new airline providing direct flights to two new domestic destinations.

The team is incredibly thankful to Rep. Tim Reeder and Rep. Allen Chesser for championing the funding in the House budget and for all Appropriators who signed off on the MRG funding. This project would not have been successful without their efforts.

We also would like to recognize Greenville Mayor PJ Connelly, City Manager Michael Cowin and Invest Greenville President and CEO Josh Lewis for their leadership and advocacy on this important issue. In addition to their state level efforts, they have each been involved in raising local and federal funding for the MRG and have worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality for the region.

Lewis shared the following about the project and working with the firm:

“The challenges of pursuing legislative support for community projects are navigating a complex state system of governance as well as establishing the relationships needed to compete for limited resources. Whitney and our partners at Ward and Smith thoroughly understand the mechanisms of North Carolina government as well as the connections required to move bills and funding priorities through the legislative process. Their partnership and support have been critical to our ability to develop public policy strategies and execute them with a high level of success.”

Invest Greenville predicts that expanding air service at Pitt-Greenville Airport by two additional daily flights will accelerate the region’s existing trend of rapid economic growth and generate $1,815,028 in additional State sales and use tax revenue annually. Business leaders consistently cite air connectivity as a key factor in corporate site selection decisions. This MRG should triple the number of direct connections from Pitt-Greenville Airport, making the region even more attractive to businesses. Expanded air service will also facilitate access for health care professionals, patients, and students traveling to and from ECU.

Mayor Connelly also spoke with Ward and Smith’s Government Relations team following the announcement and offered this perspective:

“The City of Greenville is grateful for the hard work and dedication of Ward and Smith in successfully advocating for the funding that will help support PGV. This allocation will strengthen our efforts to expand economic development opportunities in our community by helping us secure an additional commercial airline service—an investment that is greatly needed to support our region’s continued growth.”

Ward and Smith has been proud to represent the City of Greenville at the North Carolina General Assembly for over a decade.

The team at the North Carolina General Assembly in support of the MRG.