A recent economic impact study revealed Rosecrans Memorial Airport is second in the state for total monetary output. Conducted by MoDOT’s Aviation Division, the study determined Rosecrans’ total output equals $162.3 million. It is second to Spirit of St. Louis, which has a total output of $354.9 million.
The airport’s ranking is in general aviation, and does not include commercial aviation, such as Kansas City International Airport or Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.
“It’s important for the state as a whole to know how important airports are to the community, not just to transportation, but to the economy,” said Abe Forney, general manager of Rosecrans Memorial Airport.
The study, which analyzed information from 2012, measured impact in terms of direct, indirect and induced economic activity and spending. It found three impact measures: jobs, payroll and output.
Rosecrans Memorial Airport is home to 1,437 jobs with a total payroll of $92,284,000.
In 2002, when the study was last conducted, Rosecrans was home to 1,346 jobs with a total payroll of $63.2 million. Its total output at the time was $98.6 million.
Mr. Forney said this information can now be used as a promoting tool for businesses looking to relocate.
It’s also imperative for airport administration to know when it asks the City Council for funds. While it’s not the case in St. Joseph, he added, many cities across the state have difficulty justifying matching funds for what are often multimillion-dollar projects.
“Since city budgets are so tight, it’s hard to get a council to buy in to promoting their airport,” he said. “So what it does is give those municipalities a feel for what the value of the airport is that they can’t see directly.”
Rosecrans Memorial Airport serves the 139th Airlift Wing, LifeNet, corporate aviation, recreational aviation and flight training.
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