QUOTE
Local Airport Is Flying Strong
Economic impact for city in 2006 was nearly $5M, manager explains.
Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch
MICHIGAN CITY - As the Michigan City Municipal Airport begins planning for an expansion of its terminal and longest runway, it is seeing record numbers in traffic and economic impact to the city.
"Overall, we're doing great," airport manager Brian Payne said. "People are coming in here and spending money in Michigan City. The airport's doing well."
According to Payne, the overall economic impact on the city in 2006 was nearly $5 million. That's money that comes from airport operations, money spent in the city by people who use the airport, and reduced costs for travel; costs that would be incurred if the airport was at a different location.
Direct impacts - from things like fuel sales and land leases at the airport - totaled $1,964,170 in 2006, while indirect impacts - money spent in the city by people who've flown into the airport - totaled $608,240.
Induced impacts - secondary and repeat expenditures from airport visitors - also totaled $1,964,170, while the savings on transportation costs was valued at $142,483.
Payne said that the airport's clientele has expanded, showing the facility - and the city - has become a destination stop for flyers.
"And it's not just small guys," he said. "We get business customers and all kinds of people who come in here and spend money."
Inside the airport's small terminal, the breadth of transient pilots can be seen thanks to a large map pinned to a wall inside. Whenever pilots fly into the airport, they place a stick pin on the map to indicate where they're based.
"We're up to 26 states, Canada and the Virgin Islands," Payne said. "It's a huge number to be able to show people."
While the airport provides economic impact to the city, it also doesn't cost the city much, using only $139,000 of city funds in 2006.
Michigan City controller John Schaefer said the airport is self-sustaining.
"Obviously it's an asset when dealing with economic development in that it can handle planes up to a certain size," Schaefer said. "Other than the (small budget amount), the operation pretty much pays for itself. The other costs are absorbed by hangar rentals and fuel sales and things like that."
Payne said the airport plans to expand its hangar this year and hopes to get on the Federal Aviation Administration's grant cycle so it can expand its runway in the near future.
For the past couple years, the airport has been buying land along Meer Road for the extension, but encountered problems with those acquisitions and fell out of the most recent funding loop.
Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.
Economic impact for city in 2006 was nearly $5M, manager explains.
Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch
MICHIGAN CITY - As the Michigan City Municipal Airport begins planning for an expansion of its terminal and longest runway, it is seeing record numbers in traffic and economic impact to the city.
"Overall, we're doing great," airport manager Brian Payne said. "People are coming in here and spending money in Michigan City. The airport's doing well."
According to Payne, the overall economic impact on the city in 2006 was nearly $5 million. That's money that comes from airport operations, money spent in the city by people who use the airport, and reduced costs for travel; costs that would be incurred if the airport was at a different location.
Direct impacts - from things like fuel sales and land leases at the airport - totaled $1,964,170 in 2006, while indirect impacts - money spent in the city by people who've flown into the airport - totaled $608,240.
Induced impacts - secondary and repeat expenditures from airport visitors - also totaled $1,964,170, while the savings on transportation costs was valued at $142,483.
Payne said that the airport's clientele has expanded, showing the facility - and the city - has become a destination stop for flyers.
"And it's not just small guys," he said. "We get business customers and all kinds of people who come in here and spend money."
Inside the airport's small terminal, the breadth of transient pilots can be seen thanks to a large map pinned to a wall inside. Whenever pilots fly into the airport, they place a stick pin on the map to indicate where they're based.
"We're up to 26 states, Canada and the Virgin Islands," Payne said. "It's a huge number to be able to show people."
While the airport provides economic impact to the city, it also doesn't cost the city much, using only $139,000 of city funds in 2006.
Michigan City controller John Schaefer said the airport is self-sustaining.
"Obviously it's an asset when dealing with economic development in that it can handle planes up to a certain size," Schaefer said. "Other than the (small budget amount), the operation pretty much pays for itself. The other costs are absorbed by hangar rentals and fuel sales and things like that."
Payne said the airport plans to expand its hangar this year and hopes to get on the Federal Aviation Administration's grant cycle so it can expand its runway in the near future.
For the past couple years, the airport has been buying land along Meer Road for the extension, but encountered problems with those acquisitions and fell out of the most recent funding loop.
Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.