The following information was released by the city of Atlanta:
Since the opening of the new Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal on May 16, more than 1,700 jobs have been created to operate and maintain the 1.2-million-square-foot, state-of-the-art terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Most of the new jobs are in retail and food and beverage.
Our region lost 200,000 jobs since 2007, but Hartsfield-Jackson remains the economic engine of the metropolitan Atlanta region, and the new terminal is helping to put people back to work, said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. The international terminal is yet another example that shows when we invest in infrastructure, we create real jobs for families, strengthen the economy, and help our city, region and nation remain competitive.
The planning, design and construction of the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson created about 3,000 jobs over a six-year period and about 150 of those jobs will continue throughout the remainder of the year. The opening of the terminal led to the creation of new jobs in the shops and restaurants that have opened recently. Airlines, federal agencies, city contractors and other organizations also increased staffing to ensure smooth operations and the highest level of customer service throughout the airport.
Hartsfield-Jackson currently ranks as one of the largest employers in Georgia and has a direct economic impact of $32.5 billion for the metro Atlanta area. The Airport currently employs about 58,000 employees, up from 56,500 in 2005, according to the Airports most recent economic impact study.
Many companies doing business at the airport added staffing to make the new terminal a world-class facility and to meet the growing demand for international air service in Atlanta, said Aviation General Manager Louis Miller. In 2011, we experienced a record year, hosting almost 9.9 million international travelers.
The Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal connects Atlanta with nearly 70 destinations in more than 45 countries. In June, about 14,000 passengers arrived or departed daily from the terminal during the week, and about 18,000 passengers used it each day on the weekends. Concourse F processed 10,578 international bags each day, while Concourse E processed 5,766 each day.
Copyright 2012 States News Service
