A TRULY NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION ASSET

There are 5,261 public-use airports that can be directly accessed by general aviation.  That is more than ten times the number of airports served by scheduled airlines. This makes general aviation uniquely situated to serve the public’s transportation needs.  

These public use airports are the only available option for fast, reliable, flexible air transportation to small and rural communities in every corner of the country, providing jobs, serving as a lifeline for small to mid-sized businesses, and providing critical services to remote cities and towns in time of natural disaster or crisis.

A LARGE PILOT COMMUNITY

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States has nearly 600,000 pilots, the vast majority of whom fly general aviation aircraft.

MILLIONS OF JOBS

In 2005, a comprehensive study by Merge Global, Inc. concluded that employment from GA totaled 1,265,000 jobs in that year.

AN ECONOMIC POWERHOUSE

That same study pegged the national total economic contribution of GA at $150 billion annually.

Additional economic impact can be inferred from the 2200 charter flight companies, 4,144 repair stations, and 569 flight schools operating 4653 aircraft. There are 3,330 fixed based operators, 18 “fractional” ownership providers and 261,806 airframe and power plant specialists.