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Chicago Executive Airport Economic Impact Study–2007 Page 5-5
Given these filters, 51 locally based firms were identified that use the Airport regularly (i.e., at
least twice per month) for business purposes. These 51 firms operate about 5,500 flights
annually with 117 aircraft. On average, this suggests that each of the 51 firms had two aircraft
(2.3 aircraft per firm) and operated each aircraft once per week (47 operations per year).
Employment and annual sales revenues figures were obtained where available and estimated
where unavailable for those identified airport users to estimate employment and sales volumes
for study area firms that regularly rely on the airport. 10 The direct effect of these 51 firms on the
local Chicago area economy is an estimated 12,600 jobs and $1.3 billion in sales.
5.4 Other Qualitative Benefits
Lastly, qualitative benefits arise from regular airport activities that improve people’s quality of
life. While it is difficult to place a dollar value on such impacts, these activities benefit local
residents, business and visitors in a variety of ways. These include health, welfare and safety
benefits that arise form medical flights, police patrol, traffic reporting, educational opportunities,
economic development marketing, etc. The airport management survey conducted as part of
this study identified specific examples of qualitative benefits supported at Chicago Executive
Airport, and is summarized in Exhibit 5-3.
While this matrix is not all-encompassing, it does provide an overview of the diversity of benefits
that the Airport supports, beyond the creation of jobs, payroll, and output. In addition to both
recreational and corporate/business activity, very frequent activities include career training/flight
instruction, search & rescue (CAP), and medical transport (both emergency and physician). In
addition, law enforcement, traffic/news reporting and essential air cargo just-in-time (JIT)
operations are frequently conducted at Chicago Executive Airport.
10 Data obtained from both Dunn and Bradstreet and InfoUSA databases. Estimates for firms lacking
data were calculated based on the average employees or annual sales revenue per aircraft operation.
Wilbur Smith Associates November 2007