April 17, 2018

General aviation, including business aviation, is a vital contributor to the economy in every state, and in April, the governors of Missouri, Utah and Rhode Island officially recognized the industry for the important role it plays. Every state, in addition to hundreds of communities throughout the United States, have highlighted general aviation over the years for its contributions to the success of companies and citizens around the country.

Missouri

“The Missouri Department of Transportation found that general aviation generates $857 million in economic activity annually, and many communities in Missouri depend heavily on general aviation and community airports for the continued flow of commerce, tourists and visitors to our state,” Gov. Eric Greitens wrote in his proclamation.

The state is home to 122 public-use general aviation airports, serving 9,284 pilots and 3,847 general aviation aircraft. General aviation supports nearly 7,500 jobs across the state.

Read the full Missouri proclamation. (PDF)

Other Missouri proclamations in April include:

Rhode Island

According to Gov. Gina Raimondo, “General aviation and local airports play a critical role in the lives of our citizens, businesses, communities and farms.”

General aviation in Rhode Island supports 1,476 jobs, resulting in more than $213 million in annual economic output. The state is home to seven public-use airports, which serve 1,283 pilots and 449 active general aviation aircraft.

Read the full Rhode Island proclamation. (PDF)

Utah

The total economic output of general aviation in Utah is $2.2 billion, according to a proclamation from Gov. Gary Herbert.

“General aviation not only supports Utah’s economy, it improves the overall quality of life by supporting emergency medical and healthcare services, law enforcement, firefighting and disaster relief, and by transporting business travelers to their destinations quickly and safety,” he wrote.

Utah is home to 45 public-use airports, which serve more than 8,000 pilots and nearly 3,000 active general aviation aircraft.

Read the full Utah proclamation. (PDF)

The following proclamations also were issued this month in Florida: