Image courtesy of Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport directly generated 58,000 jobs in 2009 and contributed $32.5 billion in direct revenue to the metropolitan Atlanta area - an increase of nearly 40% on 2005 - according to a new economic impact study.

Atlanta Airport generated an estimated 434,000 jobs, an increase of 11% on 2005, making the gateway the leading employer in the Atlanta metro area.

Building on its strong passenger performance, the highest in the world, its cargo sector, direct and indirect economic impact and user needs; Atlanta Airport generated $58.2 billion business revenue in 2009.

"Hartsfield-Jackson continues to be the dominant economic generator for metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia," said Robert Kennedy, interim aviation general manager. "Airport jobs paid more than $4.3 billion in wages in 2009."

Atlanta's multi-billion dollar expansion programme continued to make progress in 2009 with the completion of a Consolidated Rental Car Facility in December and continued work on the new international terminal and the programme as a whole generated almost $240 million in business revenue and 2,000 jobs.

Most jobs are located in the counties immediately surrounding the airport, with South Fulton topping the list with 15.45% and Clayton generating 9.86%.

Local and state tax receipts from operations at Atlanta Airport totalled around $1.7 billion in 2009, including $664 million from direct activities and $1 billion from indirect economic impact.

The study, which is conducted every four years, was undertaken by the Economic Development Research Group and CH2M Hill, in association with the Hartsfield Planning Collaborative.

Click here to view the full report.

By Oliver Clark