NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new study of the Nashville International Airport's economic impact shows numbers of a city on the rise.
BNA commissioned the study through the research firm Martin Associates. The study revealed the airport generated $7.1 billion in total economic impact to Middle Tennessee in 2018. The number is more than double from 2012 when it generated $3.5 billion.
“Serving as more than just the gateway to Music City, BNA is an economic engine of enormous activity for the region that generates jobs, personal income, tax revenues and more,” BNA President and CEO Doug Kreulen said. “This study quantifies those impacts and shows how the airport’s continued growth is vital to the economic prosperity of Middle Tennessee.”
The economic impact study analyzed job creation, personal income growth, tax revenue generated, and other factors during the 2018 calendar year. Aviation activity at BNA generated the following:
- 67,432 Tennessee jobs and $2.8 billion in personal income
- $6 billion of business revenue to firms providing goods and services at the airport and to the local visitor industry
- $168 million in state and local taxes
- $224 million in federal aviation-specific taxes
- 4.4 million visitors arriving through BNA spent $2.9 billion in the greater Nashville area for food, lodging, entertainment, retail, transportation services and more
- In 2018, some 16 million passengers traveled through BNA--13.2% more than 2017. It's the sixth consecutive calendar year hitting an all-time passenger record.
“This economic impact study provides another indication of the critical role BNA continues to play in keeping our regional economy on an upward trajectory” BNA Board chair Dr. A. Dexter Samuels, said. “Passenger growth has reached historic heights and the increase in economic impact is astounding. We expect this growth to continue in the coming years, which is why our ongoing expansion project—BNA Vison—remains critically important to Nashville’s future economic health and well-being.”
The study also analyzed the impacts of Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport. It hosted 8,000 visitors and contributed $35.3 million in total economic impact. Tune supports 327 jobs. The airport generated $1.1 million in state and local taxes. Tune produced $19.2 million in personal income.
