Tennessee's airports generated $53.8 billion in economic activity during 2025, according to a new study that credits everything from freight planes to out-of-state tourists for keeping the state's aviation network humming. The figure covers 76 public-use airports across Tennessee, and officials say it shows aviation is doing far more than just moving planes in and out of runways.
The study was conducted by the Tennessee Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division, according to TASP 2040, and it defines aviation's economic impact through total jobs, payroll, value added and business revenue generated across the state. As reported by WZTV, the study found Tennessee aviation supports 236,000 jobs with nearly $18 billion in payroll, and accounts for 9% of the state's total economic output.
Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Will Reid framed the numbers as proof of aviation's reach beyond the tarmac. “Aviation is a gateway for commerce, competitiveness and community connectivity in Tennessee,” Reid said, per WZTV. He added that airports help connect people and businesses, let employers reach new markets, attract talent and visitors, and support customers across the state.
Breaking Down the $53.8 Billion
The study organizes the statewide impact into three categories: on-airport activity, visitor spending, and freight and cargo, the TASP 2040 report notes. Nearly 7.8 million out-of-state visitors passed through Tennessee's commercial-service and general-aviation airports in 2025, contributing $10.5 billion to the state's economy, according to the same report.
Businesses based at Tennessee airports employed an additional 31,640 people, and that on-airport activity alone accounted for almost $20.7 billion in economic impact, the report found. Freight and cargo operations supported more than 73,000 jobs and generated $22.7 billion in economic impact, the TASP 2040 data shows.
TDOT Aeronautics Director John-Paul Saalwaechter said the study was designed to capture aviation's full footprint rather than just its physical infrastructure. “Aviation is infrastructure for the economy,” Saalwaechter said, according to WZTV. He added that airports matter for manufacturers, hospitals and anyone traveling to Tennessee, and that aviation's value includes jobs, payroll and economic activity — not only airport buildings. Saalwaechter also said the benefits extend to communities throughout Tennessee, including rural ones.
How the Numbers Have Climbed Since 2019
The $53.8 billion figure marks a jump from an earlier TDOT estimate based on 2019 data, which put the state's aviation-related economic activity at $40 billion, per WZTV. That earlier study, detailed in a TASP 2040 technical memorandum, covered 78 public-use airports, including six commercial-service and 72 general-aviation airports, and reported a total of 220,936 jobs supported statewide along with $13.24 billion in labor income. The memorandum itself cautioned that its figures reflected pre-pandemic conditions and did not represent current aviation or economic activity.
A separate 2026 analysis found Tennessee's five primary commercial-service airports accounted for $28.3 billion in total economic impact and facilitated more than 171,000 Tennessee jobs, according to Memphis International Airport. That report found the economic impact tied to the state's primary commercial airports rose $8.8 billion, or 45%, compared with the 2019 study. Memphis International Airport alone supports 67,550 local jobs and generates $10.7 billion in statewide economic output, the same report states.
Smaller Airports, Real Dollars
The ripple effects reach beyond Tennessee's biggest hubs. Chattanooga's Lovell Field contributed $910 million to the state's economy in 2019, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The newspaper's reporting also found the Cleveland, Tennessee, airport contributed $8.2 million to the state's economy that same year — a reminder that even small regional airfields factor into the state's broader aviation economy.
Taken together, the figures underscore how deeply aviation is woven into Tennessee's economy, from major international airports moving cargo and tourists to small-town runways serving local businesses. State officials point to the new study as evidence that the network's value keeps growing year over year.
