Washington Business Winter 2018 | Washington Business | Page 50

business backgrounder | economy
Ready for Takeoff
Rural airports power the economy of small towns and support
businesses in every corner of Washington.
Brian Mittge
Many of the state’s 137 public-use airports are in rural Washington. From agriculture to tourism,
business travel to firefighting, rural airports play an important role in their communities. They
were among the topics of discussion at AWB’s Rural Jobs Summit Oct. 23-24.
The Friday Harbor Airport in the San Juan Islands.
At A Glance
According to WSDOT’s 2012
Aviation Economic Impact
Study, Washington’s airports
lead to 248,500 jobs, $15.3
billion in wages, and $50.9
billion in total economic
activity.
97 percent of gross business
income in Washington is
within 10 miles of an airport,
and 70 percent is within five
miles of an airport.
50 association of washington business
In every corner of
Wa s h i n g t o n , i n e ve n t h e
smallest and most remote
rural communities, there are
airports and air strips.
— Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake
In fact, Washington has 137
public use airports in 37 of the
state’s 39 counties. They are hubs for business, recreation, travel, rapid medical care
and much more.
These airports are an economic mainstay of their communities, yet many people
rarely notice or think about them.
That’s one reason the organizers of AWB’s Rural Jobs Summit this fall
scheduled time for a discussion on rural airports and their value to communities
large and small.
One of the panelists, Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, knows firsthand the value of
aviation to rural economies and communities. Through a 40-year career in flying,
he did crop-dusting, corporate piloting, flight instruction and more.
“You build a mile of highway and you can
go one mile. You can build one mile of
runway and go anywhere in the world.”