A report from the Indiana Department of Transportation Office of Aviation shows that aviation has an economic impact on the state of $10.3 billion.
That includes nearly $3.4 billion in income from more than 75,000 aviation-related jobs at the state’s four commercial service airports, 64 general aviation airports, and one heliport.
The report, released in late 2022, uses 2019 as the base year of activity for assessment as it represents a typical or “normal” year of activity prior to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to state officials.
Some highlights from the report:
- Employment at general aviation airports was 7,420, with an additional 1,500 jobs created through suppliers and vendors to those airports and another 2,360 jobs created through “induced” impacts, which means spending of earnings of employees and businesses in the general economy.
- Labor income from airport employees topped $351.8 million, while it topped $548.3 million from direct, indirect and induced impacts
- GA airports in the state also paid more than $173.6 million in taxes, including $114.5 million in federal taxes, $40.4 million in states taxes, and $18.5 million in local taxes.
As the report concludes, state officials note that the economic contributions of Indiana’s aviation facilities represent only one type of benefit these airports and heliports offer to Indiana residents and visitors — the quantitative benefit.
“It’s important to recognize that these facilities also provide a wealth of qualitative impacts to Hoosiers that may not be readily recognized,” they said, noting the airports also provide aerial medical services, aviation education, community events, and more.
You can see the full report at IN.gov.
These economic impact studies are always created to justify government spending that could probably be done better/quicker/cheaper in the private sector. If you look at the actual study results, you will see it was created (for a hefty fee) by Kimley-Horn, a company that makes its living from such studies and airport planning. I have been involved in a number of airport infrastructure projects and have seen that the most lucrative businesses are these “planner”, which often upscale projects in order to reap maximum benefit to the public works industry that feeds off taxpayer dollars. The precursor to major “improvements” at airports is generally these contrived economic impact reports. No private sector would report on its “impact” this way. It would (must) publish quarterly a P&L statement and a balance sheet. The owners of course expect a profit from the operations. Taxpayers do too, but government airports rarely run at a true profit, why these bogus economic impact statements are created.