News

Huntsville International Airport Featured in The Economic Impact of Alabama’s Six Major Commercial Service Airports Report

July 16, 2020

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.-
The Aviation Council of Alabama released a report on The Economic Impact of Alabama’s Six Major Commercial Service Airports. The report was prepared for The Aviation Council of Alabama by Dr. M. Keivan Deravi, Economic Research Services, Inc.

The report estimates that the total spending (output) impact of the Alabama Airports on the State’s economy amounted to approximately $5.0 billion in 2019. It is also estimated that approximately $1.7 billion of this total economic impact is solely due to the aviation and aviation related activities. Furthermore, the total employment and payroll impact attributable to Alabama Airports is approximately 69,200 direct and indirect jobs and over $2.6 billion of additional payroll to the economy of the State. The report found that direct total employment of the airports (aviation and aviation related entities) is estimated to amount to 16,200 jobs (on a full-time equivalent basis in 2019) and that the payroll of the entire on-site business operation is estimated to be $705.5 million.

The six Alabama commercial service airports and their auxiliary businesses collectively add a total of $948.1 million to the State’s economy in the form of non-payroll business transactions. In summary, the Airports are directly (not counting tourist spending and the induced and indirect impacts at any level) responsible for a total employment of 16,200 individuals and a total direct addition of $1.6 billion to the State’s economy.
The report breaks down the economic impact by individual airport so details regarding the impact of the Port of Huntsville can be reviewed easily. An example of this is shown below, but the complete series of statistics outlining direct total employment, payroll contributions and non-payroll contributions by Alabama’s six commercial airports can be seen inside Dr. Deravi’s report:

Employees
Payroll
Non-Payroll
Huntsville
6,114[1]
$272,177,956
$390,624,913
Birmingham
3,500
$178,017,054
$203,840,853
Mobile
5,820
$220,590,320
$341,537,416
Montgomery
300
$12,000,000
$5,000,000
Dothan
428
$20,895,000
$875,000
Muscle Shoals
38
$1,883,125
$6,243,463

[1] Includes data for industrial parks and cargo operations, were applicable.

Below is the estimate of total economic impact for the Port of Huntsville:
Economic Impact: $ 1.8 Billion
Payroll Impact: $ 1 Billion
Employment Impact: 28,600 Jobs

“With the release of this report on the economic impact of Alabama’s six major commercial service airports, The Aviation Council of Alabama demonstrated that not only nationally, but inside Alabama, airports are more than runways and terminal”, said Rick Tucker, Huntsville International Airport CEO. “Airports are powerful engines of economic growth, providing both economic benefits and economic impacts for their respective regions. This report validates the need for development, expansion and improvement to Alabama airports so that we can continue to meet the needs of tomorrow’s business environment while substantially impacting Alabama’s economy.”

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Attached: The Economic Impact of Alabama’s Six Major Commercial Service Airports on the State’s Economy Report