Increasing the number of destinations and passengers an airport serves has a positive effect on regional economic development.

As the economic recovery continues, airports are experiencing growing passenger numbers. But does economic growth create more demand for air travel, or does air travel help to drive economic growth? In new research which looks at data from metropolitan areas over 17 years, Volodymyr Bilotkach finds that adding 100 passengers a day to the volume an airport served can lead to between 98 and 315 new local jobs, and that adding a new destination can lead to between 98 and 223 new jobs and the opening of between 4 and 15 new businesses.