Airport System Plan
New Hampshire's airports are an important part of the state's transportation network, connecting people, communities, and business. This video details the importance of aviation and maintaining and developing the system of public use airports in the Granite State.
Airport System Plan
Airport System Plan
Transcript of video:
The NH Sate Airport System Plan consists of 25 public use facilities throughout the state.
Today this system has matured into a well balanced and effective part of New Hampshire’s transportation network.
Aviation is an important piece in supporting economic development in the State of New Hampshire.
We have 25 airports throughout the state of NH and millions of people travel in and out by way of those airports.
It is a system and once an airport is gone it does not come back.
What we have been able to do is bring in more business customers, business-friendly aircraft, larger aircraft, more first-class seating, that attracts business customers.
The reason why our plants and clients are successful is because they can fly to the closest airport and that has significant economic impact on those airports.
New Hampshire is a great location for doing business because we have not only access to international airports we have three major interstates that bisect out state and we are a pretty small state. It is significant that have so many. We also have a deep-water port over in Portsmouth. No matter what type of transportation need you might have, we can meet that need.
Transportation is all about connectivity and making sure that people can get to where they want to go. Our multi-modal transportation system – be It aviation, public transit, roads and bridges, rail, it is all about connectivity.
One of the main components of this airport is the fact that it is huge economic engine for southern NH and our region. A one-billion-dollar economic engine. 61% of that economic engine comes from people who don’t even live here.
Tourism is a big part of our state economy, employing about 70,000 people in NH. Many of the people who make NH the home for the business first encountered our state as a visitor/tourist. Tourism and the airports are really important because it is actually one of our best business development tactics.
In 2014 our payroll exceeded $17 million, about 85% of our employees are in NH. We spend about a quarter of a million dollars in fees, aviation and aeronautics fees, paid to the Aeronautics Department of NH. So just here in Portsmouth we have purchased over $1 million worth of fuel. We pay landing and parking service fees where we land. We strongly identify with NH. We are very pleased for the environment it provides for us.
The opening of Raymond Wieczorek Drive was a game changer, I think, for the Manchester area and for the airport in particular. It has opened up nearly a 1000 acres south of the airport for new economic development. We are looking at a million square feet of new development there. And about 700 new jobs that are going to come in. It is very substantial, and I think that it is all due to the investment in that infrastructure.
The airports also provide logistical support for law enforcement, air ambulances, and are ideal command centers for search and rescue operations.
NHDOT Bureau of Aeronautics is responsible for overseeing the entire airport system. They work to construct and maintain the best possible air transportation system and facilities in the most efficient and economical manner.
The Bureau works with agencies at the federal, state, and local levels to preserve and promote a system of airports necessary to the future of air transportation in NH.
Preserving the system that we have in place is crucial, and that’s part of what our new airport system plan does. It provides what that system is, what it looks like, what the roles and responsibilities of each of our airports are and that is crucial in preserving those roles and responsibilities.
Several recent studies to measure the economic benefits of aviation on NH show that the 25 airports provide over $1.16 billion of economic benefits to the state each year. This represents about 2% of NH’s overall economic output and over 9200 jobs. In addition, the study found that aviation is a significant source of tax revenue for the state.
NH’s aviation manufacturing companies add nearly another $1 billion of indirect economic output and bring over 3600 additional jobs to the state.
Many of these jobs are based in science, technology, engineering, and math. They help to attract and cultivate a highly skilled aviation and aerospace workforce.
A lot of the people who we hire are people who come from the STEM group- think of pilots- that is a highly technical position. Think of our accounting planning and business development departments. If you can’t run a scenario, if you can’t crunch numbers, you won’t be successful. I would say that nearly every angle of our business here absorbs and relies on STEM education.
Projections show that operations at NH airports, like other New England states, will remain stable and see modest growth over the next 20 years. During that time, our airports will need a projected $509 million in safety and capacity improvements.
Without public support none of the projects, none of the airports that we have in the state, would survive. The federal government it great at providing some funding to help and keep our airports safe and improve them and expand them. We also need state and local support for that. If we do not have the public support for those airports, then we won’t be able to realize the funding that we need to maintain and keep them safe and accessible for citizens.
NH’s 25 public use airports bring so many benefits to the state that is supporting them is paramount to meeting the economic and transportation needs of its many residents and visitors for years to come.