Loudoun :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Report: Leesburg Airport Generates Third Most Economic Activity In State
Posted by:
Loudoun County News
()
Date: September 10, 2011 11:39AM
Report: Leesburg Airport Generates Third Most Economic Activity In State
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_7ce57a4c-d28b-11e0-aadc-001cc4c03286.html
Another big ranking for the Town of Leesburg and this one gives credit to its airport's standing as a center for economic activity.
Leesburg Executive Airport ranked third among the state's general aviation airports in terms of the amount of economic activity it generates. The town-based airport generated more than $78 million in economic activity in 2010, according to a report released by the Virginia Department of Aviation.
The Virginia Airport System Economic Impact Study was recently released by the state aviation department in an effort to shine a light on the important economic benefits offered by the state's nine commercial service and 57 general aviation airports. In total, Virginia's airports are estimated to contribute more than $28 billion to the Virginia economy, representing about 4.4 percent of the state's total economic output. Every $1 spent at a Virginia airport, the report states, contributes an additional $3.48 in economic activity for the state.
The economic contributions of the state's 66 airports were measured in terms of jobs, payroll and economic activity, with the latter classified into three impact categories: direct, indirect and induced. For every take-off and landing at a Virginia airport, the department notes, $722 of economic activity is produced.
Only Manassas Regional and Bridgewater Air Park outpaced Leesburg Airport in terms of economic activity, with the former bringing in more than $234 million last year and the latter $85 million. Leesburg Airport produced the second-most amount of jobs, including in the local region and the greater state, at 634, with Manassas Airport again the top job-creator with 1,056 in 2010. According to Cliff Burnette, director of the Airport Services Division at the state aviation department, the jobs number generated for Leesburg and other airports takes into account "the multiplier effect."
"It's the bits and pieces of people....everything from the UPS driver to the person who delivers fuel; it multiples into the community," he explained.
More than 63,000 individuals used Leesburg Airport's services last year and, according to the report, 226 aircraft are based at the airport.
Airport Commission Chairman Dennis Boykin said the report is validation of what he and other commissioners have been saying for years: airports are not about airplanes, they're about commerce.
"It's really about providing jobs and supporting interstate commerce," he said.
When reached by phone to comment on the report, Boykin had just returned from a business meeting in Tampa, FL. Boykin had used his personal aircraft, stationed at Leesburg Airport, to get to and from his meeting.
"There are businesses that locate here in town because of the airport and there are businesses coming here because of the airport," he said. "We're glad to see that the study has backed up our claim all along."
Boykin also remarked that at the recent Virginia Department of Aviation conference where the report was unveiled attendees were reminiscing about how at one time there were questions as to whether the airport could survive as an entity.
"Now we're seeing today that it's #3 in terms of economic activity. It's a job producer."
Burnette said the state aviation department likes to put together a new economic impact study every three or four years, but the 2011 report represents the first since 2004. The seven-year difference is drastic, both locally and statewide. Leesburg Airport almost doubled its economic output, which was at $40.6 million in 2004, and the total economic output of airports throughout the state almost tripled, as it was $10.8 billion seven years ago. Burnette attributes the success of airports throughout the state to the close proximity to Dulles and Reagan National airports and the overall well-run management of them.
"It's a good system of airports," he said. "Probably one of the best in the country."
Shye Gilad, CEO of ProJet Aviation, which opened its Leesburg Airport-based facility last year, said the results of the study speak directly to their experience in the town.
"Our own internal performance exceeded our projections in the first year," he said. "What [the study] does is it reaffirms our investment it lets us know that we're on the right track and it further validates our opinion on the long-term viability of the development of Leesburg into a major private aviation hub."
Attachments:
http://www.leesburg2day.com/news/article_7ce57a4c-d28b-11e0-aadc-001cc4c03286.html
Another big ranking for the Town of Leesburg and this one gives credit to its airport's standing as a center for economic activity.
Leesburg Executive Airport ranked third among the state's general aviation airports in terms of the amount of economic activity it generates. The town-based airport generated more than $78 million in economic activity in 2010, according to a report released by the Virginia Department of Aviation.
The Virginia Airport System Economic Impact Study was recently released by the state aviation department in an effort to shine a light on the important economic benefits offered by the state's nine commercial service and 57 general aviation airports. In total, Virginia's airports are estimated to contribute more than $28 billion to the Virginia economy, representing about 4.4 percent of the state's total economic output. Every $1 spent at a Virginia airport, the report states, contributes an additional $3.48 in economic activity for the state.
The economic contributions of the state's 66 airports were measured in terms of jobs, payroll and economic activity, with the latter classified into three impact categories: direct, indirect and induced. For every take-off and landing at a Virginia airport, the department notes, $722 of economic activity is produced.
Only Manassas Regional and Bridgewater Air Park outpaced Leesburg Airport in terms of economic activity, with the former bringing in more than $234 million last year and the latter $85 million. Leesburg Airport produced the second-most amount of jobs, including in the local region and the greater state, at 634, with Manassas Airport again the top job-creator with 1,056 in 2010. According to Cliff Burnette, director of the Airport Services Division at the state aviation department, the jobs number generated for Leesburg and other airports takes into account "the multiplier effect."
"It's the bits and pieces of people....everything from the UPS driver to the person who delivers fuel; it multiples into the community," he explained.
More than 63,000 individuals used Leesburg Airport's services last year and, according to the report, 226 aircraft are based at the airport.
Airport Commission Chairman Dennis Boykin said the report is validation of what he and other commissioners have been saying for years: airports are not about airplanes, they're about commerce.
"It's really about providing jobs and supporting interstate commerce," he said.
When reached by phone to comment on the report, Boykin had just returned from a business meeting in Tampa, FL. Boykin had used his personal aircraft, stationed at Leesburg Airport, to get to and from his meeting.
"There are businesses that locate here in town because of the airport and there are businesses coming here because of the airport," he said. "We're glad to see that the study has backed up our claim all along."
Boykin also remarked that at the recent Virginia Department of Aviation conference where the report was unveiled attendees were reminiscing about how at one time there were questions as to whether the airport could survive as an entity.
"Now we're seeing today that it's #3 in terms of economic activity. It's a job producer."
Burnette said the state aviation department likes to put together a new economic impact study every three or four years, but the 2011 report represents the first since 2004. The seven-year difference is drastic, both locally and statewide. Leesburg Airport almost doubled its economic output, which was at $40.6 million in 2004, and the total economic output of airports throughout the state almost tripled, as it was $10.8 billion seven years ago. Burnette attributes the success of airports throughout the state to the close proximity to Dulles and Reagan National airports and the overall well-run management of them.
"It's a good system of airports," he said. "Probably one of the best in the country."
Shye Gilad, CEO of ProJet Aviation, which opened its Leesburg Airport-based facility last year, said the results of the study speak directly to their experience in the town.
"Our own internal performance exceeded our projections in the first year," he said. "What [the study] does is it reaffirms our investment it lets us know that we're on the right track and it further validates our opinion on the long-term viability of the development of Leesburg into a major private aviation hub."
Attachments:
Re: Report: Leesburg Airport Generates Third Most Economic Activity In State
Posted by:
Dennis Boykin
()
Date: October 06, 2011 12:26PM
$78,000,000? Really? Total poppycock. Selfserving nonsense from the folks who get massive subsidies for their aviation hobbies and corporate jets. Thank you Sid, for being the one constant in my life - your opinion of the Virginia DOAV study hasn't changed in 10 years. It's good to be consistent.....Thanks !