In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hard to overlook the importance of local general aviation airports as commercial airlines cut back on service, flights and personnel. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are approximately 5,100 public use airports in the nation that are accessed by general aviation aircraft, compared to approximately 500 that offer commercial airline service. This means that business aviation reaches 10 times the number of U.S. airports than do the airlines. //

According to the National Business Aviation Association, business aviation contributes $150 billion to U.S. economic output and employs more than 1.2 million people. In addition, general aviation activities reap substantial financial benefits for every state in the nation. Only about three percent of the approximately 15,000 business aircraft registered in the U.S. are flown by Fortune 500 companies, while the remaining 97 percent are operated by a broad cross-section of organizations, including governments, universities, charitable organizations and businesses.