Jacksonville Municipal Airport Makes $8.1M Total Economic Impact

Jacksonville Municipal Airport (IJX), the publicly-owned general aviation airport in Morgan County, Illinois, is an economic driver generating $8.1 million in total economic impact in 2019. Operated by the Jacksonville Airport Authority, IJX is used for recreational flying, aircraft flight testing and flight training and has flights that travel to all corners of the United States. IJX supports additional activities including corporate/business flights, aerial inspection and photography, police and law enforcement operations, military training, medical transport and seasonal agricultural activities.

Jacksonville Municipal Airport by the Numbers

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) initiated the development of the Illinois Aviation Economic Impact Analysis (EIA) to quantify each airport’s annual monetary contribution to their local, regional and statewide economies. From 2019, the data showed:

• 43 Jobs.
• $1.9M Labor Income. This is payroll paid to all employees, including salaries, wages and other benefits.
• $3.0M Value Added. “Value Added” is the economic productivity of each aviation-related business establishment calculated as business revenue earned minus the cost of purchasing goods and services from other businesses. It includes all labor compensation, profits and taxes paid by businesses and is a reflection of the aviation system’s total contribution to Illinois’ Gross Domestic Product.
• $1.6M Visitor Spending. Out-of-state visitors traveling for personal or business reasons spend money on accommodations, food and beverage, local ground transportation, retail and entertainment which generates a significant influx of revenue.
• $6.5M On-Airport Activity. This is the impact generated by IJX including airport management and administration, airport tenants and on-airport construction.
• $8.1M Total Economic Impact. Total economic impact is business revenues. It takes into account expenditures needed to administer airports, sales of goods and services by airport tenants, budget expenditures by public sector agencies located on airports, the cost of capital expenditures and visitor spending in Illinois’ hospitality-related sectors.

As the data shows, the airport is a significant resource in the community and continues to support the local economy. IJX, located in west central Illinois approximately three miles north of the City of Jacksonville and 30 miles west of Springfield, also supports the community through hosting events, working with the local Boy Scout troop and partnering with the local chapter of EAA, Chapter 137, to conduct Young Eagles flights and fly-ins. 

The success of IJX can be framed within the overall success of Illinois’ robust aviation system of over 80 airports. The EIA determined that Illinois airports generated 492,768 jobs and contributed $95.5 billion to the state’s economy in 2019.

Success like this requires constant development with an eye to the future. IDOT is developing a new Illinois Aviation System Plan (IASP) to establish goals and the pathways to their achievement. Currently, IDOT has identified five goals from the Illinois Long Range Transportation Plan: economy, livability, mobility, resiliency and stewardship. Carrying these goals forward throughout the development of the IASP will align the aviation plan to the state’s overall transportation system. 

For more information about doing business in the Jacksonville region, contact Jacksonville Region Economic Development Corporation (JREDC) by email or at 217.479.4627. Follow JREDC on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.