Yesterday the Charlotte Douglas International Airport held a special unveiling for their new economic impact study.
They paid UNC Charlotte $79,000 to tear apart mountains of data to determine exactly what kind of benefit the airport was having on our region.
.@CLTMayor with opening remarks. pic.twitter.com/zvpnZXeBRQ
— CLT Airport (@CLTAirport) February 27, 2017
According to the study, the airport adds approximately $16.2 billion to the Charlotte region, from both direct spending and indirect spending – including factors that were consistent with standard Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidance.
| Direct Impacts (Airport tenants, contractors, American Airlines, general aviation) |
Jobs
29,185 |
Payroll
$1.45 billion |
Output
$4.31 billion |
| Indirect Impacts
(Regional employers, hotels, visiting passengers) |
Jobs
195,225 |
Payroll
$10.07 billion |
Output
$11.9 billion |
| Total | 224, 410 | $11.52 billion | $16.21 billion |
The airport’s total impact on the region’s economic output has increased by a staggering 67% since the study was last performed – up from $9.7 billion in 2005.
The numbers are in! The economic impact & contributions of #CLT totals $16.2B in the greater Charlotte region. #CLTeconimpact pic.twitter.com/8vEgso6Z6u
— CLT Airport (@CLTAirport) February 27, 2017
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is currently undergoing a massive $2.5 billion makeover, adding more passenger and flight capacity, and making drop-offs and pickups quicker and easier. This should also drastically increase the economic impact on our region for years to come.