AASHTO Journal - Colorado DOT Issues Aviation Economic Impact Study

The Division of Aeronautics at the Colorado Department of Transportation recently released the 2025 Colorado Aviation Economic Impact Study or CEIS; quantifying the economic contributions of airports across the state.

[Above photo by Colorado DOT]

The 2025 CEIS – which updates previous analysis conducted in 2020 – evaluates the economic impact of on-airport activities and visitor spending at each participating airport.

In addition to those metrics, the study explores the critical role of airports in facilitating air cargo operations, driving economic growth, and supporting Colorado’s agriculture industry. It also examines tax revenues generated by aviation-related activities and highlights the significant economic contribution of Denver International Airport.

The 2025 study assessed the annual economic impact of 66 public-use airports in Colorado, measuring their contributions in terms of employment, payroll, value added, and total business revenue.

The findings revealed that these airports collectively generate $68.9 billion in annual business revenue, support 348,500 jobs with a total payroll of $23.5 billion, and contribute $40.3 billion in additional economic value.

[Editor’s note: The National Association of State Aviation Officials, alongside seven other aviation groups, recently issued an updated national study detailing the robust contributions of general aviation to the U.S. economy. The study determined that general aviation supports more than 1.3 million jobs and a total of $339.2 billion in total U.S. economic output. It builds on a similar joint report compiled and released with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in April 2023.]

While employment levels remained relatively steady, the study highlighted a significant 42 percent increase in annual business revenue associated with Colorado airports from 2020 to 2025.

“The aeronautics industry in Colorado creates jobs, boosts economic growth, and contributes to the success of our agricultural and trade partnerships,” noted Governor Jared Polis (D) in a statement. “International and domestic air travel in Colorado has contributed to aeronautical business retention within our state and opened up job opportunities that have fostered a skilled workforce here in Colorado.”

“This crucial study underscores the vital importance of airports and air travel for communities large and small throughout Colorado,” added Colorado Aeronautical Board Chair Kent Holsinger.

Several state departments of transportation have issued similar economic analysis on the impact of aviation in their respective regions, along with providing support for airport development.

According to a biennial report compiled by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and issued in January, North Carolina’s aviation industry contributes $88 billion each year to the state’s economy and supports more than 427,000 jobs statewide.

In early February, the Hawaii Department of Transportation reported that the state’s airports system successfully raised $849 million in bond financing to fund approximately $600 million of essential projects to upgrade and expand airport infrastructure, including runway repairs, terminal renovations, security enhancements and the construction of new facilities.

That financing also provides for a refinancing of $233 million of existing debt, generating over $23 million of interest cost savings.

Also in February, the Montana Aeronautics Board allocated more than $3.2 million in funding for fiscal year 2026 for a range of airport infrastructure enhancement initiatives, while the New Jersey Department of Transportation issued 12 FY 2025 Airport Improvement Program grants to 11 airports totaling more than $5.9 million in state funds; money accentuated by an additional $800,000 in Federal Aviation Administration matching grant funds to support airport safety and improvement projects.

And in December 2024, the New Mexico Department of Transportation issued a $1.4 million grant to support new rural air service connecting Albuquerque and the Village of Angel Fire.