Victoria Regional Airport Boosts Local Economy, Study Says

December 4, 2003

Airport Boosts Local Economy, Study Says
Victoria Advocate, TX
  
Victoria Regional Airport is a big factor in helping the local economy fly, 
according to a just-released study by the Aviation Division of the Texas 
Department of Transportation. 

The county-owned airport supports 320 jobs with a total annual payroll of $8.3 
million - and boasts a total economic output of $21 million, according to the 
study.

The Texas Department of Transportation commissioned the study to quantify the 
often-overlooked economic impact of the state's airports.

"The study verifies everything that those of us at Victoria Regional Airport 
have been saying: That there is a significant benefit to the community because 
the airport is here," said airport manager Pat Rhodes.

Rhodes said he thought the $21 million figure might even be low because the 
study didn't calculate the economic impact of the non-aviation-related 
businesses that lease office space at Victoria Regional.

"There's more to it than the $21 million. That only has to do with air 
operations. It has nothing to do with the other businesses," Rhodes said. 

The study says the direct economic output attributable to the airport is 
estimated at nearly $7.4 million.

Additionally, scheduled airlines, and to a lesser extent, general aviation 
flights (those not related to scheduled airline operations), transport 15,000 
visitors each year, supporting approximately 140 visitor-related jobs and $2.8 
million in payroll. Visitor expenditures are also responsible for $4.7 million 
in direct economic payroll, the study says.

When combined with the multiplier impact - a formula that includes financial 
benefits that result from re-circulation of airport-generated money in the 
economy - commercial service and general aviation activity at Victoria Regional 
generate the $21 million in total economic activity, according to the study.

The TxDot study ranks Victoria Regional as the smallest, in terms of total 
economic output, of the state's 26 commercial service airports. These include 
such large metropolitan operations as Houston's George Bush Intercontinental 
and Dallas/Fort Worth International, which the study says is the third-busiest 
airport in the world.

After Victoria's, the second-smallest airport is Wichita Fall's Sheppard Air 
Force Base/Wichita Falls Municipal, with a total economic output of $35.5 
million. 

The study says Victoria Regional provides passenger service via SkyWest 
Airlines flights to Houston, supports corporate aviation activity, air cargo 
handling, military training exercises, aircraft maintenance services, flight 
training and education and recreational flying.

The economic impacts of smaller airports without commercial air service were 
also ranked in the study. Victoria-area airports included are:


Bay City Municipal. Total employment, 29.5; total payroll, $767,700; and total 
economic output, $4.3 million.

Kenedy's Karnes County Airport. Total employment, 41; total payroll, $1 
million; and total economic output, $3.5 million.

Fayette Regional Air Center in La Grange. Total employment, 22.5; total 
payroll, $784,000; and total economic output, $2.9 million.

Hallettsville Municipal. Total employment, 9; total payroll, $267,700; and 
total economic output, $1.5 million.

Refugio's Rooke Field. Total employment, 3; total payroll, $64,800; and total 
economic output, $587,500.

Wharton Regional Airport. Total employment, 7.5; total payroll, $168,600; and 
total economic activity, $533,700.

Edna's Jackson County Airport. Total employment, 9; total payroll $237,700; and 
total economic output, $485,200.

Port Lavaca's Calhoun County Airport. Total employment, 4; total payroll, 
$98,400; and total economic output, $437,000.

Yoakum Municipal Airport. Total employment, 1; total payroll, $29,600; total 
economic output, $407,800.

Beeville Municipal. Total employment, 5; total payroll, $116,700; and total 
economic output, $353,000.

"When all the benefits of both commercial service and general aviation are 
combined, the economic benefit stemming from the state's airports is truly 
Texas-sized," the study concludes.



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