AASHTO Journal - New AASHTO Report Details General Aviation's Impact

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has published a new digital edition of a report documenting the economic and community impact of general aviation across the country.

[Above image by AASHTO]

That report — officially entitled “The Impact of General Aviation on State and Local Economies, State Reports 2026, 4th Edition” — is a joint effort between AASHTO, the Alliance for Aviation Across America, and the National Association of State Aviation Officials. It was officially released at the NASAO Annual Convention & Trade Show, September 13–16, alongside a presentation to AASHTO’s Council on Aviation on September 16.

This economic report is built as a communication resource for state transportation and aviation officials, with a page for each of the 50 states, a national executive summary, a methodology and source note, and five feature pages on programs and technologies in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania. The report provides source information for its data, allowing figures to be readily used in testimony, a budget presentation, or a briefing for local officials.

Key general aviation data detailed in this report:

General aviation supported 1,330,200 jobs nationally and generated $107.5 billion in labor income.
General aviation produced $339.2 billion in output and contributed $178.1 billion to gross domestic product.
More than 4,400 public-use airports across the country can be accessed by general aviation, compared with 549 airports served by scheduled commercial airlines.

Those national figures are drawn from Contribution of General Aviation to the U.S. Economy in 2023, released in February 2025 by PricewaterhouseCoopers. For many rural communities, local general aviation airports provide a critical point of access to the national transportation system while supporting business travel, agricultural aviation, air medical service, law enforcement, flight training, disaster response, and other essential services.

To obtain a free copy of the report, click here or visit the online AASHTO Store at store.transportation.org, and search using the report’s Item Code: IGA-4.

“For thousands of communities, general aviation airports are an essential part of the broader transportation system, connecting people and businesses to jobs, markets, health care, emergency services, and destinations across the country,” said Devin Osting, executive director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America.

“This report gives state and local transportation leaders the data and examples they need to show how those airports contribute to a prosperous economy and a connected, resilient national transportation network,” Osting noted.