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Economic Impact

Tennessee’s airports serve a much greater market than just Tennesseans. Almost 7 million out-of-state visitors traveled through one of the state’s commercial service and/or general aviation airports, contributing $9 billion to the state’s economy. That’s not all they support—Tennessee’s airports directly employ 1,250 people and are home to almost 450 businesses. These businesses in turn employ an additional 31,640 people. The economic impact attributable to this on-airport activity accounts for almost $12 billion!

Tennessee’s airports also contribute to the state’s economy with freight/cargo services, which support over 82,000 jobs and $19 billion in economic impact.

To understand how Tennessee’s 78 system airports support the economy, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Aeronautics Division undertook this Aviation Economic Impact Study. Data for this study were collected for calendar year 2019 and represent a snapshot in time for that year. The total economic impact of $40 billion reflects is how much airports contributed to the state’s economy in 2019 alone.

Tennessee’s Statewide Aviation Economic Benefits

The statewide economic impact of Tennessee’s airports consists of three major categories: On-Airport, Visitor Spending, and Freight/Cargo. Together, they account for $40 billion in economic impact for Tennessee.

On-Airport 

TOTAL OUTPUT $12 billion
Impacts related to the activity of airport administration, business tenants, and capital improvements on airports


Visitor Spending

TOTAL OUTPUT $9 billion
Impacts related to out-of-state visitor spending at both commercial service and general aviation airports


Freight/Cargo

TOTAL OUTPUT $19 billion
Impacts related to air cargo operations

 

What is Economic Impact?

The economic impact of each airport, TDOT Region, and the state are defined by the total jobs, payroll, value added, and business revenue generated by aviation in the state.

JOBS

220,936
employed

Number of employed people, including full-time and part-time

PAYROLL

$13
billion

Total employment compensation, including wages and other benefits (e.g., healthcare insurance payments, retirement contributions, etc.); also known as “labor income”

VALUE ADDED

$21
billion

The economic productivity of each aviation-related business establishment, calculated as business revenue earned minus the cost of purchasing goods and services from other businesses; also reflects a company’s or industry’s contribution to Tennessee’s GDP

BUSINESS REVENUE

$40
billion

The incorporation of expenditures needed to administer airports, sales of goods and services by airport tenants, budget expenditures to public sector agencies located on airports, the cost of capital expenditures, and visitor spending in Tennessee’s hospitality-related sectors; the term “economic impact” is also used to describe business revenues

Want to learn more about the Aviation Economic Impact Study?

View the
Executive Summary.

 

Total Economic Impact by Type

Hover below for more information

Total Economic Impact by Region

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Tennessee Aviation Economic Impact Study

  • Tennessee Aviation Economic Impact Study Executive Summary (PDF)
  • Tennessee Aviation Economic Impact Study Technical Memo (PDF)
  • Economic Impacts of Tennessee Air Cargo (PDF)
  • Timeline of Economic Changes (PDF)

Case Studies

  • Agriculture
  • Air Service
  • Businesses and Industries
  • Cargo and Shipping
  • Education
  • Emergency/Medical
  • Military Operations
  • Special Events and Attractions
  • Tourism
  • Unique Geography

 

 

Airport Resources

AirportBrochurePowerPoint
0A3 – Smithville Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
0A4 – Johnson City AirportBrochure PowerPoint
0A9 – Elizabethton Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
0M2 – Reelfoot Lake AirportBrochure PowerPoint
0M3 – John A. Baker FieldBrochure PowerPoint
0M4 – Benton County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
0M5 – Humphreys County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
1A0 – Dallas Bay Sky ParkBrochure PowerPoint
1A3 – Martin Campbell FieldBrochure PowerPoint
1A7 – Jackson County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
1M5 – Portland Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
2A0 – Mark Anton AirportBrochure PowerPoint
2A1 – Jamestown Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
2M2 – Lawrenceburg-Lawrence County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
2M8 – Charles W Baker AirportBrochure PowerPoint
3A2 – New Tazewell Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
3M7 – Lafayette Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
50M – Puckett FieldBrochure PowerPoint
6A4 – Johnson County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
8A3 – Livingston Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
92A – Chilhowee GliderportBrochure PowerPoint
APT – Marion County Airport – Brown FieldBrochure PowerPoint
BGF – Winchester Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
BNA – Nashville International AirportBrochure PowerPoint
CHA – Lovell FieldBrochure PowerPoint
CKV – Outlaw FieldBrochure PowerPoint
CSV – Crossville Memorial Airport – Whitson FieldBrochure PowerPoint
DKX – Knoxville Downtown Island AirportBrochure PowerPoint
DYR – Dyersburg Regional AirportBrochure PowerPoint
FGU – Collegedale Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
FYE – Fayette County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
FYM – Fayetteville Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
GCY – Greeneville Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
GHM – Centerville Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
GKT – Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge AirportBrochure PowerPoint
GZS – Abernathy FieldBrochure PowerPoint
HZD – Carroll County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
JAU – Colonel Tommy C. Stiner AirportBrochure PowerPoint
JWN – John C. Tune AirportBrochure PowerPoint
LUG – Ellington AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M01 – General Dewitt Spain AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M02 – Dickson Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M04 – Covington Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M08 – William L. Whitehurst FieldBrochure PowerPoint
M15 – James Tucker AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M29 – Hassell FieldBrochure PowerPoint
M31 – Arnold FieldBrochure PowerPoint
M53 – Humboldt Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M54 – Lebanon Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M91 – Springfield Robertson County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
M93 – Houston County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MBT – Murfreesboro Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MEM – Memphis International AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MKL – McKellar-Sipes Regional AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MMI – McMinn County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MNV – Monroe County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MOR – Moore-Murrell AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MQY – Smyrna AirportBrochure PowerPoint
MRC – Maury County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
NQA – Millington-Memphis AirportBrochure PowerPoint
PHT – Henry County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
PVE – Beech River Regional AirportBrochure PowerPoint
RKW – Rockwood Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
RNC – Warren County Memorial AirportBrochure PowerPoint
RVN – Hawkins County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
RZR – Cleveland Regional JetportBrochure PowerPoint
SCX – Scott Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
SNH – Savannah-Hardin County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
SRB – Upper Cumberland Regional AirportBrochure PowerPoint
SYI – Bomar Field – Shelbyville Municipal AirportBrochure PowerPoint
SZY – Robert Sibley AirportBrochure PowerPoint
TGC – Gibson County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
THA – Tullahoma Regional Airport/William Northern FieldBrochure PowerPoint
TRI – Tri-Cities AirportBrochure PowerPoint
TYS – McGhee Tyson AirportBrochure PowerPoint
UCY – Everett-Stewart Regional AirportBrochure PowerPoint
UOS – Franklin County AirportBrochure PowerPoint
XNX – Music City Executive AirportBrochure PowerPoint
Tennessee Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Division

7335 Centennial Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37209
615.741.3208
https://www.tn.gov/tdot/aeronautics.html