America’s commercial airports generate10.5 million jobs and $1.2 trillion in total economic impact, according to a new study released by the Airports Council International-North America.

The Economic Impact of Commercial Airports in 2010 quantifies the contributions of 490 commercial airports in the United States. The analysis, prepared by CDM Smith, concludes that in addition to the broader impacts, airports also are powerful economic multipliers in communities and states nationwide.

U.S. airports have generated 56 percent more jobs in America’s communities since ACI-NA last studied airports’ total economic impact in 2001.

In 2010, airports were responsible for about 8% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), and an estimated 7 percent of jobs. With domestic passenger travel projected to grow from 713 million to 1 billion enplanements in the next decade, the industry is poised to expand rapidly.

Using data from 2010, the report shows US airports are collectively the nation’s second largest employer after Wal-Mart. The study also posits that the effect of airports on U.S. GDP ― $1.2 trillion ― is greater than the total value of all goods and services produced in countries like Mexico, Switzerland or South Korea, according to 2010 World Bank data.

ACI-NA has identified over $80 billion in documented infrastructure projects, including runways, terminals and other facilities, needed to meet a surge in domestic passenger travel over the next decade, not counting federal projections for growth in cargo and other aviation-related services.

Commercial airports are funded with user fees and receive almost no taxpayer funds from state or local governments. The federal grants that help pay for airport construction projects come from a portion of taxes paid on airline tickets, air cargo shipments, and aviation fuel purchases.

The study examined the direct on-airport economy, including visitor spending, operations, and the impact of the airports’ capital improvement projects. The FAA-approved methodology used also measured the commercial airports’ multiplier economic impacts, including employment and payroll, both on- and off-airport property.

Source: Airports Council International