May 01--The Washington State Department of Transportation's Aviation Division released a study Monday that highlights the economic impact of the state's 135 public airports, including the four in Lewis County.
The statewide study found the public airports create about 248,500 jobs, $15.3 billion in wages and $50.9 billion in economic activity. All the figures are up significantly from the last such study in 2001.
Chehalis-Centralia Airport Manager Allyn Roe said the findings accurately show the number of jobs and visitors to the airport, but understates corporate aviation.
Roe said a large part of the Chehalis-Centralia Airport's business is corporate travel for companies like Millard Refrigeration, Pacific Cataract and Laser Institutes and Cardinal Glass.
Roe estimates 700 corporate flights in the past year, up by about 50 from the previous year.
The Chehalis-Centralia Airport, which has 81 aircraft based there and 12 overall employees, also serves Airlift Northwest and LifeFlight for emergencies, military training with helicopters and general aviation.
The recently released study showed the Chehalis-Centralia Airport generated $1.499 million in the region and brought in $721,300 in visitor spending in 2010.
The study also touched on the airports in Packwood, Toledo and Morton.
The Packwood Airport, which has four aircraft based there and two employees, reportedly brought in $197,400 in visitor spending in 2010, the study said.
The Ed Carlson Memorial Field in Toledo, which has 78 aircraft based there and six employees, generated $371,000 in the community and brought in $668,700 in visitor spending, the study showed.
The Packwood Airport and Ed Carlson Memorial Field are owned by Lewis County.
Bob Johnson, Director of Community Development for Lewis County, said the county is working to develop water and sewer lines to 14 acres of the Ed Carlson Memorial Field, which Johnson said could bring in more commercial business to the airport by next year.
Johnson also hopes the positive trends from the study continue for long-term projects at the Packwood Airport, including an expanded runway and new hangars.
For the Strom Field in Morton, the study showed visitor based spending at $28,700 for 2010 for the airport that is home to six aircraft.
Copyright 2012 - The Chronicle, Centralia, Wash.
