Next in Flight

Case Study Submitted for the Regional Transportation Authority’s Air Service Advancement Project (ASAP)

Air Service Advancement Project• The Air Service Advancement Project (ASAP)

is a three-year initiative to mobilize, highlight, and focus business support to strengthen nonstop international air service from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.

• The project will create a $500,000 regional investment fund that will supplement the RDU Airport Authority’s $500,000 commitment to recruiting and marketing international air service.

Summary

•Each additional transatlantic flight will generate $25 million in annual net regional economic spending.

•Over a 25 year period each flight will increase the region’s gross domestic product $1.4 billion

Potential Economic Impact• $25 million in direct

overall spending in the service’s first year

• Operational spending could be over $174 million at the 25 year mark

• The service could support 600 direct employees at its peak

• And the additional service could help travelers realize $50-100 million in annual travel savings

Examples

•Denver

Flight From

Total Annual

Economic Impact

Indirect Economic

Impact (Off

Airport)

Direct Economic

Impact (On Airport)

Induced Economic

Impact

Asia $142,425,029

$72,693,082 $8,692,649 $61,039,298

Europe $90,577,704 $45,112,572 $6,646,116 $38,819,016

Mexico $25,732,652 $11,665,946 $3,038,427 $11,028,280

Examples• Austin

▫ It is only the second airport in the US to be a non-hub serving London (the other being RDU).

▫ Local business has committed to support the service [$5 million commitment] and the data has shown that in the past year it has helped the airport experience significant growth [roughly 7%].