Davidson County Airport Contributes $130 Million Annually in Local Economic Impact

North Carolina’s publicly owned airports contribute $72 billion to the state’s economy and support 330,000 jobs, according to a report released by the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation. Airports and aviation-related jobs also provide $23 billion in personal income and contribute $3.7 billion in state and local tax revenues every year, based on 2021 data. As one of the 62 general aviation airports in the state of North Carolina, the Davidson County Airport impacts 540 jobs including almost $31 million in personal income and $4.35 million in state and local taxes annually with an overall impact of $130 million, an increase of 71% over the last report in 2021.

All airports generate significant economic return for their communities and the state. For example, the owner of a $5 million aircraft based at a North Carolina airport pays local property taxes equivalent to those paid by owners of 25 homes valued at $200,000 each.

The report, North Carolina: The State of Aviation, highlights the impact of the state’s public airports and the related aviation and aerospace assets that support North Carolina’s aviation economy. NCDOT creates the report every two years to help guide future investment in aviation infrastructure and provide a tool for recruiting aviation and aerospace industry companies and investment. “These types of reports are instrumental in helping us demonstrate the positive impact our airport has on the local community,” said Rick Phillips, Chairman of the Davidson County Airport Authority. “The addition of Sky Aircraft Maintenance, a full-service aircraft maintenance operation that services jet engines and overhauls aircraft interiors, in 2021 and upcoming addition of 8 corporate hangars are also expected to help the airport continue to grow its economic impact on the community,” Phillips continued.