Legislative
Program Review and Investigations Committee
KEYPOINTS
Bradley International Airport Study
- Airports are no longer viewed as
transportation facilities, but rather business centers that contribute to an
area's economic development.
- Bradley's economic impact to the region has
been estimated at about $2 billion annually. For each increase of 1,000
passengers, 2.25 jobs are created and personal income in the state rises by
more than $100,000. Bradley needs to better market its economic value.
- Bradley will need to work with neighboring
towns to realize full economic development potential - a recent report
indicated only 200 of the 2,600 developable acres in the Bradley environs
are located on the airport site itself.
- Bradley, which has experienced steady growth
since the mid-1990s, is considered a medium-sized airport, ranking 52nd
in passengers served and 34th in air cargo handled in 1999.
- About 7.3 million passengers flew in and out
of Bradley during calendar year 2000, a 16 percent increase over 1999.
- Bradley has 41 nonstop destinations and
one-stop single-plane service to 35 others.
- Compared to 13 similar airports selected as
part of this study, Bradley ranked 9th on average one-way
charges; 4th on markets - number of destinations ranking in the
top 1,000 city pairs; 5th on yield - fare charged to the consumer
divided by miles flown; and 4th on volume of cargo handled.
- Bradley uses revenue from airport operations,
revenue bonds, federal grants, and passenger facility charges to pay its
operating, capital improvement, and debt service costs.
- In May 2000, Governor Rowland issued an
executive order creating an Executive Council to make recommendations to the
governor on issues relating to the future of Bradley. The Executive Council
is working on proposals for the 2001 legislative session.
- Bradley needs outside business direction
through a Board of Directors, to establish a business development approach
in its organization and resource allocation, and shed the constraints that
require it operate like a state agency and not a business.
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