The general aviation industry provided a total of 1,179,200 jobs and contributed a total of $248.8 billion in total economic output in 2018, according to a new report on its contribution to the U.S. economy. A similar study conducted in 2013 found the industry supported 1,101,800 jobs with an economic output of $218.6 billion.
The report from accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers was commissioned by seven of the alphabet organizations—NBAA, GAMA, NATA, HAI, AOPA, EAA, and AEA—with support from industry data providers JetNet and Conklin & de Decker.
“Studies and industry collaborations like these are invaluable to our efforts to demonstrate to policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels the impact of general aviation to communities,” stated Timothy Obitts, NATA president and CEO. “Our membership uses these tools nationwide to support initiatives that create workforce opportunities, build on responsible environmental stewardship, and grow commerce.”
The study considered four separate types of economic impacts: direct impact, activity within the GA industry; indirect impact, the industry’s supply chain; induced impact, activity resulting from spending of income derived from aviation-related activities by its labor force; and enabled impact, destination expenditures from visitors associated with general aviation flights.
California led the study with 148,300 jobs directly or indirectly attributable to the general aviation industry, followed by Florida, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, New York, Illinois, Arizona, Kansas, and Pennsylvania. Combined, those 10 states accounted for more than half of the total jobs attributed to GA in the U.S. in 2018.
In terms of the industry’s impact on gross domestic product (GDP) per state, California led again with $18.5 billion, followed by Florida ($10.8 billion), Texas ($9 billion), Georgia ($6.1 billion), New York ($5.4 billion), Ohio ($5 billion), North Carolina ($4.7 billion), Illinois ($4.3 billion), Pennsylvania ($3.8 billion), and Kansas ($3.7 billion). Those states had 56 percent of the total GDP attributable to GA in the country in 2018.
“U.S. economic growth and opportunity coming from the general aviation industry is increasing, and this trend will only accelerate as supersonic and electrically propelled business aircraft drive deeper into their development phases,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. “This study confirms that general aviation continues to have a very significant impact on the U.S. economy. As an industry, we must continue to keep pace with innovation to improve safety and focus intently on workforce development by promoting the amazing career potential available to young people through general aviation.”
The FAA estimated that in 2018 there were 211,743 active aircraft in the U.S. general aviation fleet, including on-demand FAR Part 135 aircraft. Single-engine piston airplanes made up the majority of the fleet, accounting for 61 percent of active GA aircraft while twin-engine piston airplanes added another 6 percent to that total. For the year, the entire GA fleet logged 25.5 million flight hours, with single-engine piston airplanes accounting for 47 percent of that total.
Total sales of new, U.S.-manufactured general aviation aircraft amounted to $12.2 billion in 2018, with jets representing nearly 80 percent of that value, while equaling 16 percent of the shipments by count. Turboprops had the second-highest share of sales dollars in 2018 at 9.4 percent, followed by piston-powered airplanes (5.8 percent).
"As this important study reminds us, general aviation remains an essential and powerful contributor to our nation's economy, providing critical services to citizens, companies, and communities across the country," said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. "Hundreds of lawmakers at the federal, state and local level have recognized the industry’s vital role in America’s economy and transportation system, a role that will only grow more important as the industry continues to innovate and evolve in the years to come."
