NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s airports and the cargo planes that use them are worth $53.8 billion a year to the state economy, according to a new study from the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The 2026 Aviation Economic Impact Study, released Thursday, credits aviation with supporting 236,000 jobs that pay close to $18 billion in wages. Activity tied to flying makes up 9% of Tennessee’s gross domestic product. The total is up from $40 billion in the department’s 2019 estimate.
The study looked at all 76 public-use airports in the state, from major commercial hubs to small general aviation fields, along with air cargo moved off airport grounds. It used calendar year 2025 data, which the department describes as a snapshot of that year.
Freight is the biggest single piece. Air cargo supports more than 73,000 jobs and accounts for $22.7 billion in economic impact. Activity on airport property, including airport operations, tenant businesses and construction projects, adds about $20.7 billion. The airports employ 1,537 people directly and host roughly 734 businesses that employ another 31,640.
Visitors are the third leg. Nearly 7.8 million people from out of state passed through Tennessee airports, and their spending added $10.5 billion.
Transportation Commissioner Will Reid said in the announcement that airports help employers in manufacturing, health care, tourism and small business reach customers and recruit workers, with benefits that reach every part of the state. Aeronautics Director John-Paul Saalwaechter said the value of aviation shows up in jobs, payroll and economic output, not just runways and terminals.
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