NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Flying people and freight in and out of Tennessee is now worth roughly $53.8 billion to the state economy every year, a new state transportation study shows.
The 2026 Aviation Economic Impact Study, built on 2025 data, looked at all 76 public-use airports in the state along with cargo that moves by air but is handled off airport grounds. TDOT credits that system with supporting roughly 236,000 jobs and close to $18 billion in annual wages.
By the department measure, aviation-related activity makes up 9% of the state gross domestic product. The total has grown sharply since the last comparable snapshot, which put the figure at $40 billion in 2019.
The analysis counts several streams of money: jobs and payroll on airport property, spending by travelers who fly in from out of state, air cargo traffic and aircraft operations across Tennessee.
Agency leaders framed airports as economic infrastructure rather than just terminals and runways, pointing to manufacturers choosing plant sites, hospitals moving patients and tourists planning weekend trips.
The effect reaches well beyond the biggest hubs. Regional numbers drawn from the same study show Chattanooga Airport plus 17 smaller fields in its orbit generated a combined $5.2 billion last year, spread over 24 counties in southeast Tennessee and nearby areas.
The full study is posted on the state aviation system plan website.
For local leaders, the figures arrive as many Tennessee communities weigh runway extensions, new hangars and terminal upgrades. State officials say the data gives cities and counties a clearer picture of what their airports return in jobs, wages and visitor dollars when they compete for state and federal aviation grants.
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