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The remainder of this chapter will examine historical trends with regard to these areas of aviation and
project future demand for these segments of aviation activity at the Airport. These forecasts will be‐
come the basis for planning future facilities, both airside and landside, at the airport.
REGISTERED AIRCRAFT FORECAST
The number of based aircraft is the most basic indicator of general aviation demand at an airport. By
first developing a forecast of based aircraft, other demand segments can be projected utilizing the
forecast trend in based aircraft. One method of forecasting based aircraft is to first examine local air‐
craft ownership by reviewing aircraft registrations in
the region. A large majority of based aircraft owner‐
A large majority of based aircraft
ship at Arlington Municipal Airport resides in Tarrant
ownership at Arlington Municipal
County. Table 2D presents historical data regarding
Airport resides in Tarrant County.
aircraft registered in Tarrant County since 1995.
TABLE 2D
Historical Registered Aircraft
Tarrant County
Year
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry Database
Registered Aircraft
2,001
2,012
2,075
2,216
2,280
2,376
2,470
2,468
2,352
2,379
2,414
2,420
2,489
2,506
2,520
2,597
2,362
2,197
2,060
2,053
Annual % Change
‐‐‐
0.5%
3.1%
6.8%
2.9%
4.2%
4.0%
‐0.1%
‐4.7%
1.1%
1.5%
0.2%
2.9%
0.7%
0.6%
3.1%
‐9.0%
‐7.0%
‐6.2%
‐0.3%
The trend in registered aircraft in Tarrant County since 1995, to a large degree, reflects the fact that
general aviation activity often trends with national economic trends. The number of registered aircraft
in the county increased through the mid‐2000s and reached a high of 2,597 in 2010. The impacts of
the national recession have been apparent since then, with registered aircraft in the county declining
to 2,053 in 2014. In fact, between 2010 and 2013, registered aircraft in the county decreased by over
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