The Tennessee Department of Transportation recently issued its 2026 Aviation Economic Impact Study or AEIS, detailing how aviation drives economic growth across the state.
[Above image via Tennessee DOT]
The agency said that, using the most recent available data, its 2026 AEIS quantifies the economic contributions from Tennessee’s 76 public-use airports and off-airport air cargo to communities statewide. The findings show aviation generates $53.8 billion in annual economic activity, supports 236,000 jobs with nearly $18 billion in payroll, and contributes 9 percent of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Aviation is a gateway for commerce, competitiveness, and community connectivity in Tennessee,” said Will Reid, Tennessee DOT’s commissioner, in a statement.
“From advanced manufacturing and healthcare to tourism and small business, airports enable employers to reach markets, attract talent and visitors, and serve customers,” he noted. “These benefits extend well beyond the airport fence to every corner of the state.”
The agency said its AEIS analyzes on-airport jobs and payroll, visitor spending by out-of-state travelers, off-airport air cargo movements, and aircraft operations statewide.
[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently published a new digital edition of a report documenting the broader economic and community impact of general aviation across the country. 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.]
While the study provides a “snapshot in time,” the increase from $40 billion in 2019 to $53.8 billion underscores a competitive and highly valued aviation system that supports Tennessee’s broader economy.
This growth highlights aviation’s essential role in strengthening business activity, expanding workforce access, and enhancing statewide economic competitiveness, noted John-Paul Saalwaechter, Tennessee DOT’s aeronautics director.
“Aviation is infrastructure for the economy,” he explained. “When a manufacturer selects a site, when a hospital coordinates critical flights, when visitors choose Tennessee for a long weekend, airports make those decisions possible. The AEIS shows that aviation’s value is measured in jobs, payroll, and GDP, not just runways and terminals.”
Other state departments of transportation have also published similar aviation economic reports.
For example, a recent report compiled by the Aeronautics Division of the Wyoming Department of Transportation found that the state’s airports support an estimated 21,683 jobs and generate $3.5 billion worth of economic impact yearly, consisting of $1.4 billion in payroll and $2.1 billion in spending.
In February, the Division of Aeronautics at the Colorado Department of Transportation released the 2025 Colorado Aviation Economic Impact Study or CEIS; quantifying the economic contributions of airports across the state.
And 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.
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