The surprising impact of airports in smaller communities

It’s no myth that airports have a direct impact on a community’s economic growth and vitality. Airports in smaller communities are no different, as they serve many vital functions. While these local airports may seem inconsequential to some, they can unlock economic growth and turn a grass field into a driving force of the local economy.

These airports may not be hubs for major airlines and oftentimes are far from a big city, but they serve their communities immensely. These airports are what the FAA classifies as general aviation, which refers to a public-use airport that does not have scheduled service or has scheduled service with less than 2,500 passenger boardings each year.

General aviation airports have been around for a long time, primarily starting with the Airport Improvement Program enacted in 1982. The now $4 billion initiative provides grants for the planning and development of public-use airports throughout the country. This successful initiative continues to expand for the positive impact that airports bring to smaller communities.

GMC has worked with general aviation airports throughout the Southeast in rural and growing areas to improve the quality of life for all residents and help showcase the value of these local. Dispelling myths about airports in smaller communities often brings light to the various benefits that they bring.

Economic impact: In comparison to the just over 500 commercial airports in the U.S., there are thousands of general aviation airports. A small airport close to you probably plays a much bigger role than you would think in your city and the economy. General aviation contributes to the U.S. economy, significantly. According to a report by the Golden Shovel Agency, “General aviation generates over $150 billion annually and supports approximately 8 million jobs. With over 90% of the 220,000 aircraft registered in the United States falling under civilian or general aviation categories, these airports are a cornerstone of the national aviation landscape.”

Generating billions of dollars annually and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the country speaks to the massive impact these general aviation airports have.

Data kept by the Alliance for Aviation Across America catalogs a wide-scale economic impact survey to outline the benefit of general aviation on local economies and communities around the nation.

Investments: Major industries are attracted to cities and towns that are easily accessible. If they aren’t easy to get to, the community is often skipped over for one with better access. Having an airport, even if it is small, is a huge plus for any community when being considered by industry and investors for potential development.

An airport is a valuable asset to any community, and businesses actively seek air transportation to easily come in and out of the town.

In fact, a joint report released in April 2023 by the National Association of State Aviation Officials and the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials found that for every dollar invested in GA airports, $75 was returned on Average by companies utilizing those facilities.

On top of that, with investment comes job creation. Airports need numerous staff to ensure day-to-day operations and in addition, when industries invest in a community, jobs tend to multiply exponentially as a result.

Community support: An airport can bring a community together for many reasons.An airport’s use depends on the context of how it can best serve its community. Imagine hosting an air show for your community to bring people together and create a sense of camaraderie that may not have existed. Kids’ faces light up, leaving long-lasting impressions that can have a positive impact on how the airport is viewed in the community.

As well as hosting events and field trips to increase interest in aviation, airports can also serve as training opportunities. From offering flying lessons, pilot certifications and mechanic certifications, the airport can be a valuable educational resource providing future employment opportunities.

In addition, local governments and organizations like economic development entities and chambers of commerce, embrace local airports and have close relationships with them because of the immediate benefit of attracting industry to the region.  

Easy access: With airports in close proximity to the communities they serve, there is greater access to the community and an increased quality of life. It offers connection to the outside world in communities where that would not be as feasible. These airports are not just for the rich and luxurious with private planes. For the most part, aircraft at GA airports are for local law enforcement, governments, charitable organizations and businesses.

Airports in smaller communities serve to be essential in emergency situations as well. During a crisis, GA airports are often critical in bringing supplies, medical care and food where access has been cut off.

Where there is not an adequate hospital nearby, airports are essential for expedited care and patient transportation. In life-saving scenarios like organ transplants, quick response patient transport can also be facilitated more seamlessly with an airport close to a rural community. In these vital times, a local general aviation airport serves its citizens well with air evacuation and other life-saving measures. 

Lastly, general aviation airports typically have cheaper costs of operation. Unlike expensive hubs, a smaller airport is typically much more inexpensive to operate from. This is in part because of cheaper landing, gate and hangar fees and lower demand in general. Small, local airports also benefit from federal grants at a minimal level of expense to taxpayers.

Case studies

There are numerous case studies that demonstrate the success of airports in smaller communities. GMC’s team of aviation planning and engineering experts works with GA airport clients throughout the Southeast and sees this impact firsthand every day.

Gallatin County Regional Airport (Gallatin, Kentucky): The Gallatin County Regional Airport (8GK) is a general aviation airport in northeastern Kentucky and the first to serve the I-71 corridor between Louisville and Cincinnati. The non-commercial airport features a 5,000-foot by 75-foot concrete runway with a full parallel taxiway and apron that was completed in June 2023.As Kentucky’s 58^th general aviation airport, the project was more than three decades in the making, with GMC as the airport’s consultant.

Located in the rural area of Kentucky with a population of less than 8,800 and only 101 square miles of land, the airport filled a service gap near I-71 to cater to major industries, such as North American Stainless, Nucor Steel and Dow Chemical along the Ohio River, in addition to helping alleviate corporate air traffic out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Louisville International Airport (SDF). The airport closes a vital logistical gap for aircraft users in the area while boosting economic development, emergency services and tourism in the region.

The airfield infrastructure, also includes the 500-by-350-foot apron, which was the priority, in addition to development of a one-mile access road to the interstate. However, plans for a fuel farm, terminal building, corporate hangar, T-hangar, auto parking and more are all in the works.

Gallatin County Regional Airport hosts approximately 13,000 takeoffs annually. The airport will be funded using future revenue from jet fuel sales, hangar rental fees and fuel excise tax returns, among other federal, local and state project funds.

When the airport officially opened in 2023, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear noted, “This airport is going to support our booming economy, promote tourism in this region and provide a new site for emergency responders.”

Pryor Field Regional Airport (Tanner, Alabama): Pryor Field Regional Airport (DCU) in Tanner, Alabama is one of the fastest-growing airports in Alabama. The airport serves national, corporate and private aircraft, as well as cargo operations, and is owned and managed by the Pryor Field Airport Authority which was established by the Cities of Athens and Decatur and Counties of Limestone and Morgan County. Located eight nautical miles from Huntsville International Airport, Pryor Field is a strategic alternative and a reliever for cargo and business traffic and has proven to be logistically essential to several industries around North Alabama and Tennessee.

The region of the state has grown almost 20% in the past decade thanks to the area’s development as a vital aerospace and manufacturing hub. Pryor Field serves as a key function of this with its industry relationships.

As the region has grown, the airport continues to grow recently adding a taxiway and apron with additional space for the high demand hangar space. The airport authority owns and operates the sole fixed-based operator (FBO), Pryor Flight Center, at the airport which allows them to enhance the customer and community experience. The airport also hosts an annual airshow which successfully brings thousands from the community together.

Development continues the thrive at DCU, with millions of dollars in grant funding being awarded to support various projects that will further enhance the airport’s ability to serve the community and current and future industry.

South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (Greenville, South Carolina): TheSouth Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC) is the largest GA airport in the state and supports the needs of South Carolina’s world-class aerospace industry. The airport is unique, featuring assets no other airport in the country has. Home to 118 diverse companies, the airport generates an average of $500 million in economic activity each year.

SCTAC is essential in several functions, with the main focuses being on the manufacturing and aviation industries. Its cargo services serve massive industries throughout the region, including Michelin, 3M, ETHOX Chemical Solvay and Thermo-Fisher Scientific.

Additionally, SCTAC houses Lockheed Martin’s F-16 aircraft production, as well as many other military planes that are maintained and serviced at the facility. Two fixed-based operators (FBOs) are housed at the airport as well as Greenville Technical College’s aircraft maintenance certification program and the National Guard.

From small community airports that lead and lift their community’s economy to those that serve industries throughout the nation, the significant contribution these airports make on the communities where they’re located should not be overlooked. Having an airport, big or small, improves the quality of life for all those in a community. With a strong economic impact, job creation, better access to critical medical care and more, airports truly are difference makers.