Louisville International named 9th best air cargo airport in the world

LOUISVILLE International Airport moved up the rankings to become the ninth busiest cargo airport in 2011, the only one among the world's top 10 whose freight volume increased last year, according to Airports Council International (ACI) 2011.

The city's two commercial airports generate 64,135 jobs and over US$320 million in state and local taxes, the Louisville Regional Airport Authority (LRAA) board heard from a separate report.

The LRAA board was told at the meeting that Louisville's airports continue to be a remarkable source of strength in the area's economy, according to the findings of a survey. The results showed that the two facilities provided more than nine per cent of total employment in the metropolitan area with a total payroll of more than $2.3 billion; generated more than $7.1 billion in total annual business and produced over $320 million in state and local tax revenues, the publication, report the Lane Report of Lexington, Kentucky.

"All of these figures are significantly larger than the previous results in 2008, meaning that even during a major nationwide economic slump, our airports were thriving, growing and providing a huge lift to our local economy through more jobs, more payroll and more taxes paid," said LRAA board chairman Phil Lynch.

The survey, conducted at three-year intervals since 1986, measures three types of economic impacts: direct, indirect and induced. Combined, these measurements represent activities including jobs, payroll, business expenditures and taxes generated by business.

Mr Lynch also noted that in 2011, Louisville International Airport and its business partners invested more than $57 million in capital projects. "Capital investments, like all other direct business activity, will create additional economic activity in the Louisville economy," he said.