Small Airports Help Economy

A number of airports in the region are supporting over 800 jobs and are also generation more than $110 million for the economy. This information was found out from a recent study that was released by the government.

The study was sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and received its funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. During the study, 39 separate airports were examined across the United States. The study was performed to figure out how these different airports were contributing to the economy in a positive manner. The study showed that the states airports, along with the Boston Logan International Airport, were supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide and were even generating billions of dollars on a yearly basis.

Airports are actually very substantial as they are the home to many things. Flight training schools and anything that has to do with aviation takes place within these airports. Airports also are equipped with restaurants for visitors to eat in, help getting rental cars and even booking rooms to stay in. The study was designed to measure the type of economic impact that each of these airports had and then calculate how many jobs each of the airports support as well.

In the suburbs of Boston, there are about five aviation airports. The location of these airports is Plymouth, Marshfield, Hanson, Mansfield, and Norwood as well. Out of the different airports, the Norwood Memorial Airport had the overall best impact economic-wise, earning $51.4 million and opening 386 jobs for new employees. Directly behind this airport was the Plymouth Municipal Airport, which has supported 301 jobs and has contributed $48.5 million to the economy.

Tom Maher, the manager of the Plymouth Municipal Airport, has said, “We certainly play a part in the economy.’’ The airport is actually the home of two separate flight schools, four maintenance companies, and many flight operations. Maher believes that the airport in Plymouth is much like a gateway to the community because it is helping the economy by all means necessary. He believes the presence of the airport can definitely be felt.

Maher says, “There’s that old aviation saying, build a mile of roadway, and you can go a mile. Build a mile of runway, and you can go anywhere in the world.’’ On the other hand, Tomas J. O’Rourke, the president of Neponset Valley Chamber of Commerce, has said, “There’s a spillover effect, too, from all of the people coming in and out of the airport.’’ He also says, “They’re staying in the area, and going to restaurants.’’

O’Rourke believes that an airport is a lot like an attraction the community. He talks about how he has brought his own son to the airport to watch the planes land and fly away.