Executive Summary - Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh International Airport

Local Business Traveler:
Returning from Denver after
winning $5 million contract
Concession Manager:
Earns $29,000 annually
Leisure Traveler:
Spent $90 in AirMall
Passenger Service Clerk:
Employed over 15 years
Leisure Traveler:
Visited sister in Rostraver.
Spent $300
Visiting Passenger:
Attended convention
downtown. Spent $1,200
Business Traveler:
Spent $900 in Pittsburgh
Photo credit: BAA USA, Inc.
Pittsburgh International Airport and Allegheny County
Airport, when combined, generate billions of dollars of
economic activity and support thousands of quality jobs
in the Pittsburgh region.
Allegheny county airport authority
AIRPORTs SUPPORT
Total Employment
A survey of regional businesses indicates that many
depend on commercial air service and general aviation
airports in metropolitan Pittsburgh. Without access
to the Allegheny County Airport Authority airports,
companies would cut employment or possibly relocate
outside the area. It is estimated that at least 354,500
jobs in the Pittsburgh region are in some way reliant
on air transportation services provided by Allegheny
County Airport Authority airports.
72,850 jobs
Total Payroll
$2.2 billion
Total Economic Activity
$6.1 billion
For more information contact:
Allegheny County Airport Authority
Pittsburgh International Airport
P.O. Box 12370
Pittsburgh, PA 15231
www.flypittsburgh.com
Eric Buncher
Manager - Planning Services
412.472.5692
Prepared by:
Economic
Impact
Pittsburgh International Airport
Allegheny County Airport
Executive Summary
September 2009
Pittsburgh
International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport continues to be recognized as
one of the cornerstones of the region’s economy. In 2008, the
airport served the air transportation needs of nearly 9.6 million
passengers and handled more than 84,500 metric tons of cargo.
Thirteen passenger airlines and their 11 affiliates operate at
Pittsburgh International Airport, providing non-stop service to 39
cities with 168 average daily flights. US Airways has a significant
presence on the airport with its aircraft maintenance facility as
well as its newly completed Operations Control Center.
Low cost carrier (LCC) Southwest entered the Pittsburgh
market in May 2005 offering connections to Chicago Midway,
Philadelphia, Orlando and Las Vegas. JetBlue began direct LCC
service in 2006 to Boston and New York, important destinations
to the Pittsburgh business community. AirTran has operated at
the airport since 2000 and offers direct flights to Atlanta, Fort
Lauderdale, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Tampa. In the terminal,
BAA USA has created the AIRMALL, which is a state of the art
shopping mall within the airport.
Important findings
Approximately 71,160 residents of
the Pittsburgh region are employed,
directly or indirectly, as a result of
Pittsburgh International Airport. These
employees represent 5.9 percent of all
workers in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA).
Pittsburgh International Airport’s
total economic impact comprises
5.1 percent of the estimated Gross
Metropolitan Product (GMP) for the
Pittsburgh MSA.
The aggregate of all on-airport jobs
means Pittsburgh International
Airport has the 5th highest number of
employees in the Pittsburgh MSA.
In 2007, the airport accommodated
over 84,500 metric tons of cargo to
meet the needs of regional businesses
and consumers. Air cargo businesses
at Pittsburgh International Airport
support 587 full-time employees
earning $21 million annually.
The Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s 171st Air Refueling Wing
(ARW) and United States Air Force’s 911th Airlift Wing are based
at Pittsburgh International Airport. The 171st ARW operates
sixteen KC-135T Stratotanker aircraft while the 911th Airlift Wing
operates eight C-130H “Hercules” aircraft.
When on-airport, visitor and multiplier impacts are summed for
2008, the airport is responsible for approximately 71,160 jobs,
$2.1 billion in payroll and $5.7 billion in economic activity.
PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SUPPORTS
Total Employment
71,160 jobs
Total Payroll
Total Economic Activity
Allegheny
County Airport
The Allegheny County Airport serves as the primary FAAdesignated reliever airport for Pittsburgh International Airport.
With a primary runway in excess of 6,500 feet in length and a
full complement of navigational aids and amenities, this airport
supports operations by any business class aircraft in the world.
Many of the area’s largest corporations base their aircraft at the
airport. The businesses routinely charter aircraft, ship and receive
supplies and products, and have customers and suppliers who
arrive routinely via the airport. Some of the major corporations
that base aircraft at the airport include CONSOL, ALCOA, PPG
Industries, and PNC Financial Corporation. Other area businesses
and agencies that rely on the Allegheny County Airport include
Anthony Holdings, Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, Federated
Investments, and J.J. Gumberg. Many of the nation’s leading
Fortune 500 companies fly into the airport on a regular basis.
Allegheny County Airport is the primary corporate aviation
facility in the Pittsburgh region. Like Pittsburgh International,
Allegheny County Airport serves as a major employment center
and economic catalyst. More than 590 persons are directly
employed on the airport earning approximately $30.0 million
annually. In 2008, the airport accommodated more than 76,500
operations, many of which were supporting regional businesses.
When all impacts were considered, Allegheny County Airport
was responsible for approximately 1,690 jobs, with a payroll
approaching $66.6 million. In 2008, the total economic activity
stemming from the airport is nearly $322.9 million.
Allegheny County AIRPORT SUPPORTS
Total Employment
1,690 jobs
$2.1 billion
Total Payroll
$66.6 million
$5.7 billion
Total Economic Activity
$322.9 million
The current economic impact includes expenditures
by over 100 on-airport businesses and government
agencies, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Michael
Baker Jr., and McGarrity Army Reserve Center. These
entities support over 12,100 full-time equivalent jobs
with an annual payroll of $540.2 million. Impacts
also include expenditures from over 1.7 million
visitors to the Pittsburgh region that arrive via
Pittsburgh International Airport, as well as the
multiplier effect associated with this spending.
Study Process
The Allegheny County Airport
Authority initiated a study to quantify
the economic benefits that stem from
both airports. This study followed a
proven, FAA-supported, methodology
that accounts for impacts from onairport tenants, government activity and
capital improvements as well as regional
impacts from visitors using the facilities.
In addition, these first-round economic
benefits are nearly doubled as a result
of the multiplier effect. As the tenant
and visitor spending takes place in the
region, it supports successive waves of
employment, payroll, and output. For
example, an airport employee buys local
goods and services, thereby benefiting
local businesses and creating additional
local employment. When all the impacts
are summed, a clear picture of the true
regional value of Pittsburgh International
and Allegheny County airports emerges.