DOTD’s Aviation Division Unveils Economic Impact Study
Monday, July 13, 2015 at 3:17:37 PM
In 2011, as part of the Louisiana Aviation System Plan, DOTD’s Aviation Division began the Louisiana Airports Economic Impact Study to reflect the benefits of aviation and to illustrate how airports act as economic engines for Louisiana communities.
The Louisiana system of airports analyzed in the study consists of seven commercial service airports and 62 general aviation airports.
The results of the four-year study show that aviation in Louisiana generated an estimated $6.7 billion in economic output, $1.8 billion in annual payroll, and approximately 58,900 jobs which were supported by airports.
These numbers include expenditures by hundreds of on-airport businesses and millions of visitors, as well as the multiplier effect associated with this spending.
Additionally, nearly 3.6 million visitors used the 69 airports – both for commercial and general aviation – to travel to Louisiana.
Moreover, commercial airlines conducted more than 210,000 operations at Louisiana’s commercial service airports. In contrast, general aviation carried out nearly 1.8 million operations around the state in 2011.
In Louisiana, airports and aviation provide services that support and stimulate economic activity. Beyond business and tourism, aviation brings other benefits to its residents. For example, airports are used to facilitate the movement of patients to and from medical facilities, as fly search and rescue operations, as practice areas for military aviators to hone their flying skills, and act as loading zones for aircrafts to apply pesticides to crops. In addition, airports help to support services which are vital to all citizens of Louisiana.
Airports in Louisiana are major economic catalysts for the state and for the communities they serve. As evident by the economic impact analysis, the network of airports have tremendous economic impact to the state. In addition to economic benefits, airports provide communities with links to the national air transportation system and they support many health, welfare, and safety services which improve the quality of life for all residents, businesses, and aviators.