Airports, aerospace and defense industries brought $121B to Arizona's economy, a new study says
A new analysis shows the economic impact of Arizona’s airports, aerospace and defense industries contributed $121.4 billion to the state’s economy.
The amount includes direct, indirect and induced impacts: everything from visitor spending to jobs throughout the supply chain, and goods and services those employees support. The 2021 Arizona Aviation Economic Impact Study used data from 2019.
Arizona has 67 public airports, ten principal military installations with aviation-related missions and leading companies in aerospace manufacturing and research.
Arizona’s proximity to international markets and strong population growth are listed as strengths. The manufacturing sector’s dependence on military and aerospace work is considered a weakness because it’s vulnerable to federal spending cuts. The analysis also says rising annual temperatures and falling groundwater levels could threaten future population and economic growth.
The analysis provides snapshots for each airport and each county across the state. For Maricopa County, it says 11 airports support 329,000 jobs, which account for more than 15% of total county employment. The top business sectors for Maricopa County are listed as health care and social assistance, retail trade and accommodation and food services.
