With air travel picking up and key components of its expansion and renovation program set for completion, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority has released an updated study on the economic impacts generated by Nashville International Airport (BNA) for the calendar year 2019. The report, commissioned by the Airport Authority and conducted by the research firm of Martin Associates, reveals that BNA’s total economic impact exceeded $8 billion, a 14% increase over 2018 and an increase of 131% since a similar 2012 study.
Additional findings show that more than 76,000 area jobs and $3.2 billion in personal income were supported by activity at BNA in 2019. That same activity resulted in $6.8 billion in business revenue and produced more than $464 million of tax dollars for state, local and federal coffers. As pointed out in the study, BNA receives no local tax dollars.
“Passenger traffic at BNA is obviously down right now as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting decline in air travel,” said Doug Kreulen, BNA president/CEO. “But the numbers in this report confirm the airport’s role as an engine of enormous economic activity and job creation for Nashville and Middle Tennessee. With travel and business activity starting to increase, we look forward to fulfilling that role once again and helping lead the region’s economic recovery both now and in the years to come.”
The economic impact study analyzed job creation, personal income growth, tax revenue generated and other factors during the 2019 calendar year.
In 2019, some 18.3 million passengers traveled through BNA, an increase of more than 14% over the previous year, setting an all-time passenger record for the seventh consecutive calendar year.
The airport is in the midst of a major expansion and renovation plan known as ‘BNA Vision,’ with recently completed projects including a six-level Terminal Garage, Interim International Arrivals Building (IAB) expansion and upgrade, phase 1 of the Terminal Apron and Taxilane Expansion and North Terminal Wing Expansion.
A second Terminal Garage with a new Valet center opened on June 18, and the new Concourse D is set for launch in mid-July.
Other projects to be completed by 2023 include a major terminal renovation, state-of-the-art International Arrivals Facility, on-site hotel, another Terminal Garage and a variety of new dining, retail and service amenities.
The study also analyzed the impacts of Nashville’s John C. Tune Airport (JWN), located just west of downtown. The leading general aviation airport in the state, in 2019 JWN saw some 86,500 operations and contributed $35.3 million in total economic impact, while supporting 327 jobs, generating $1.1 million in state and local taxes, and producing $19.2 million in personal income.
