April 29, 2019
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently published its Statewide Economic Impact Study, which highlights aviation as an “economic engine” and determines the industry is responsible for a total economic impact of $175 billion.
“The results of the recent Florida Department of Transportation Statewide Aviation Economic Impact Study clearly demonstrate the significant value airports have within the community, region and state, as well as support continued strategic investments in order to maintain and improve aviation infrastructure, which enables Florida direct access to the global market,” said Aaron Smith, state aviation manager of FDOT’s Aviation and Spaceports Office.
The study considered direct impacts to the state’s economy, including on-airport impacts such as airport tenants and capital investment and off-airport impacts such as visitor spending. A multiplier effect – aviation employees spending money in their communities, for example – leads to the total impact of $175 billion annually, with payroll accounting for $60 billion.
The aviation industry, directly and through the multiplier effect, contributes 1.4 million jobs to the state. On-airport jobs make up almost 400,000 of those jobs for a total of $22 billion in payroll.
Florida is home to 20 commercial service airports, 109 public-use general aviation airports and hundreds of private airports. 116 of these public-use airports participated in the study and individual reports of each airport’s economic impact are available on the Florida DOT website.
For example, the Marco Island Executive Airport, a popular business aviation airport, provides on-airport economic impact of more than $11 million and visitor impact of more than $6 million. With multiplier effects, the total employment is almost 300 people and nearly $32 million in economic impact.
“Florida hosts a diverse aviation economy, including aircraft manufacturing activities, flight training and other services, contributing over a million jobs and billions of dollars in revenue,” said Greg Voos, NBAA’s Southeast regional representative. “For example, the report highlights Melbourne International Airport, where Embraer employs nearly 850 people in well-paid manufacturing jobs.
“This Statement Economic Impact Study clearly demonstrates the positive impact aviation has on the entire state,” added Voos. “NBAA commends the Florida Department of Transportation for its efforts to quantify and demonstrate to the public, state legislators and other leaders the economic impact of the aviation industry.”
Learn more about the Florida Statewide Economic Impact Study here.