A new study from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows that airports contribute $95.5 billion and more than 490,000 jobs to the state’s economy.
“Aviation is a pillar of our state. Its importance to our economy cannot be overstated,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Illinois airports serve as a gateway to the economy through passenger, cargo, and general aviation services, as well as employment opportunities.”
The 2020 Illinois Aviation Economic Impact Analysis found that of the $95.5 billion contributed to the Illinois economy by airports in 2019, $21.1 billion came from visitor spending, $35.9 billion was related to the shipment of cargo, and $38.4 billion resulted from direct impacts, including $32.5 billion in income to help support 492,768 jobs.
The report analyzed 85 public-use airports, including 81 public and four private airports. Data was used to measure the economic impact at each individual airport, as well as each IDOT region and at the statewide level. The last time a similar study was released was 2012, according to state officials.
Early next year, IDOT is expected to release the first Illinois Aviation System Plan in more than two decades. The plan will help identify short- and long-term needs of individual airports and the aviation system as a whole, state officials said.
Having grown up in IL in the shadow of ORD, I’d be willing to bet that this number wouldn’t be anywhere near as large if ORD, MDW and RFD were removed from the list. But then, most States are that way.