While airports serve as gateways for travel, they’re also powerful economic engines.
To quantify airport contributions to the economy, Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA) commissioned comprehensive reports that measure the economic benefits generated by commercial service airports throughout the United States and Canada. The Economic Impact of U.S. Commercial Service Airports in 2024 and The Economic Impact of Canadian Airports in 2024 studies were developed by Mead & Hunt’s Eric Laing to measure the economic impact of airports in the U.S. and Canada.
Why does measuring this impact matter? From terminal staff to maintenance crews to the thousands of businesses located inside and around airports, these facilities support families and businesses across both nations. U.S. commercial service airports produce $1.8 trillion of annual economic output and support 12.8 million jobs with an associated payroll of $619 billion. The Canadian report found that Canadian airports sustain 435,800 jobs with nearly C$33 billion in payroll and C$123.5 billion in annual economic output.
The ACI-NA reports Eric helped create show that beyond connecting flights, airports connect people to prosperity. The studies also demonstrate the importance of financially supporting the infrastructure at these airports to maintain and grow their valuable economic contributions.
Read the full studies:
