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Bladen Community College Launches New Aviation Programs, Including North Carolina’s First Community College ATC Program

Bladen Community College in Dublin, North Carolina, announced two new aviation programs that will roll out over the next year: an Aviation Management degree starting in fall 2026, and an Air Traffic Control program launching in spring 2027 that will make BCC the first community college in North Carolina to offer ATC training. The programs aim to address a workforce shortage in an industry that contributes nearly $88 billion annually to North Carolina’s economy and supports more than 427,000 jobs across the state. Most courses will be available online, making the programs accessible to students balancing jobs, military service, or family.

For a county-level community college to launch the state’s first community college ATC program is a meaningful development — and it reflects a national trend of aviation workforce training moving downstream into community colleges and vocational programs.

What the Aviation Management Program Covers

The Aviation Management degree program, beginning fall 2026, is designed to prepare students for careers in airport operations, aviation administration, logistics, and related aviation fields. The curriculum balances technical aviation knowledge with management and leadership coursework.

Required courses in the program include:

Air Navigation — fundamentals of how aircraft find their way, including chart reading, instrument procedures, and the FAA’s national airspace structure
Aviation Meteorology — weather systems, forecasting, and how they affect aviation operations
Aviation Laws and Federal Aviation Regulations — the regulatory framework governing every aspect of commercial and general aviation
Private Flight Theory — the foundational knowledge required for private pilot certification
Aviation Management — operational and administrative principles specific to the aviation industry
Principles of Management and Principles of Supervision — general business leadership coursework

Most classes will be available online, with flexibility for traditional students, working professionals, military service members, and parents.

What the Air Traffic Control Program Will Offer

The Air Traffic Control program, expected to launch in spring 2027, will prepare students for FAA employment as air traffic controllers. The program is still being developed — BCC is creating new courses and finalizing the program of study for submission and approval through the North Carolina Community College System Office.

When complete, the program will make Bladen the first community college in North Carolina to offer ATC training. ATC programs have traditionally been concentrated at four-year universities like Embry-Riddle, Purdue, and the FAA-approved AT-CTI (Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative) schools. The expansion into community college-level training reflects the FAA’s broader push to expand the controller pipeline.

This is timely. The FAA’s 2026 Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan, released in May 2026, targets hiring 2,200 new controllers in 2026, 2,300 in 2027, and 2,400 in 2028. The full staffing target is 12,563 Certified Professional Controllers (CPCs). Reaching those numbers requires a wider pipeline of qualified candidates than the existing university programs alone can produce.

Why North Carolina, Why Now

North Carolina’s aviation industry is one of the strongest in the southeastern United States. The 2025 North Carolina: The State of Aviation report quantifies the scale:

Nearly $88 billion in annual economic contribution
More than 427,000 jobs supported statewide
72 public airports across the state

That economic activity includes major commercial hubs like Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU), military installations including Pope Field and the aviation operations at Fort Bragg/Fort Liberty, manufacturing facilities for Honda Aircraft Company in Greensboro, and Spirit AeroSystems’ large aerostructures presence in Kinston.

Bladen County specifically faces a documented shortage in transportation, distribution, and logistics workers. The new programs address that local workforce gap while also feeding into the statewide and national aviation talent pipeline.

Dr. Lisa DeVane, BCC’s Vice President for Instruction, framed the workforce angle directly: “The aviation industry continues to experience tremendous growth, and this program will provide our students with access to exciting, high-wage career opportunities while helping meet workforce needs across our region and state.”

How This Fits the National Aviation Workforce Picture

Bladen Community College’s announcement is one example of a broader nationwide push to build out aviation workforce training at every level — not just at universities and major flight schools.

The FAA recently opened $26 million in Aviation Workforce Development Grants, split evenly between pilot and maintenance technician programs, explicitly aimed at expanding the training infrastructure across the country. Community colleges are increasingly central to this effort because they offer:

Lower tuition than four-year programs
More flexible scheduling for working students
Stronger local employer ties to regional aviation businesses
Online and hybrid delivery options that reach non-traditional students
Stackable credentials that let students progress in steps rather than committing to a four-year degree upfront

The career pathways out of programs like BCC’s are substantial. Aviation Management graduates can pursue airport operations roles, FBO management positions, aviation logistics jobs, charter operator administration, and corporate flight department coordination. Air Traffic Control graduates can pursue FAA controller positions with starting salaries ranging from $46,000 to $75,000+ depending on facility level, with experienced controllers at major facilities earning well over $150,000.

For students who eventually want to pursue flight training, the Aviation Management curriculum — particularly courses like Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, and Aviation Laws/FARs — provides a substantive head start on the private pilot written exam and the broader knowledge foundation required for any aviation career.

What’s Next for the Programs

The Aviation Management program will accept students for the fall 2026 semester. Information sessions, advising appointments, and enrollment are being coordinated through the college’s main campus in Dublin, NC.

The Air Traffic Control program remains in development. BCC is finalizing course content and program-of-study documentation for approval through the North Carolina Community College System Office. Spring 2027 is the expected launch, contingent on regulatory and accreditation approvals.

Prospective students can reach out to BCC at 910-879-5500 or through bladencc.edu for more information about either program.

The Bottom Line

Aviation workforce shortages are real, well-documented, and structural. Solving them requires more than headline-grabbing pilot training expansion — it requires building out the entire workforce pipeline, including the operations professionals, controllers, mechanics, and administrators who keep the aviation system running.

Bladen Community College’s launch of Aviation Management and Air Traffic Control programs reflects how community colleges are stepping into roles that have historically been concentrated at universities and large flight schools. For prospective aviation professionals — particularly those in eastern North Carolina who haven’t had local access to these training paths — it’s a meaningful new option.

And for the broader industry, it’s another sign that the aviation workforce expansion is real, distributed, and accelerating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What aviation programs is Bladen Community College launching? Bladen Community College in Dublin, North Carolina, is launching two new aviation programs: an Aviation Management degree program beginning in fall 2026, and an Air Traffic Control program expected to launch in spring 2027. The ATC program will make Bladen the first community college in North Carolina to offer this type of training.

What does the BCC Aviation Management program cover? The Aviation Management degree program covers airport operations, aviation administration, logistics, and management. Required courses include Air Navigation, Aviation Meteorology, Aviation Laws and Federal Aviation Regulations, Private Flight Theory, Aviation Management, and general business management coursework. Most classes are available online for flexibility.

When will Bladen Community College’s Air Traffic Control program launch? The Air Traffic Control program is expected to launch in spring 2027, pending approval through the North Carolina Community College System Office. Bladen Community College is currently developing courses and finalizing the program of study. Graduates will be prepared for employment with the Federal Aviation Administration as air traffic controllers.

How large is North Carolina’s aviation industry? According to the 2025 North Carolina: The State of Aviation report, aviation contributes nearly $88 billion annually to North Carolina’s economy and supports more than 427,000 jobs statewide. The state has 72 public airports, including major hubs like Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU).

How can I learn more or enroll in BCC’s aviation programs? Prospective students can call Bladen Community College at 910-879-5500 or visit bladencc.edu to speak with an advisor. Information about the Aviation Management program (fall 2026) and the Air Traffic Control program (spring 2027, pending approval) is available through the college’s main campus in Dublin, North Carolina.

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