The Economic Contribution of the MWAA Executive Summary | Page 6

Executive Summary
In 2017, over 46.6 million travelers passed through the thriving economic hubs of Reagan National
Airport and Dulles International Airport, including 8.4 million visitors to the Virginia-Maryland-
Washington, DC region. While some observers may think the Metropolitan Washington Airports
Authority (Airports Authority) is simply the organization that runs both airports, the Airports Authority
plays a much broader role in the regional economy. The Airports Authority also operates the Dulles
Toll Road and manages the Dulles Corridor Metrorail project. In 2017, the transportation assets the
Airports Authority oversees stimulated over $23.6 billion of regional output, delivered $14.4 billion in
gross domestic product (GDP), and supported 187,200 local jobs. If all of this activity were in a single,
publicly traded company, the Airports Authority would rank 123rd on the Fortune 500.
The Airports Authority commissioned IHS Markit to assess and quantify the economic contributions
the organization makes to the economies of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. The analysis
was structured around three distinct roles the Airports Authority plays in the regional economic
landscape—visitor spending, travel services, and local spending—with the overall economic
contributions distributed across these areas.
The Airports Authority welcomed 8.4 million visitors who engaged
in nearly $9.0 billion of visitor spending across the region in 2017
In 2017, close to 5.5 million domestic and 2.9 million international
visitors passed through the airports on journeys to conduct business
or vacation in the region. They directly spent almost $9.0 billion
as they shopped, dined, lodged, and experienced the region. This
spending triggered follow-on activity as businesses restocked
inventory and hired employees. Ultimately, the visitor spending
stimulated, in total, over $13.9 billion of economic output, delivered
almost $8.5 billion of GDP, and supported nearly 131,300 local jobs
across the region in 2017.
8.4 million
visitors
$9.0 billion
of visitor spending
The Airports Authority provided facilities that delivered vital travel services
Washington, DC's two airports are thriving business zones. Individuals traveling through both
airports, as well as the airlines themselves, require on-site services ranging from air support to
cargo to concessions to ground transportation. IHS Markit estimates companies doing business at
the two airports stimulated about $7.4 billion of economic output, delivered nearly $4.4 billion of
GDP, and supported over 44,600 jobs across the region in 2017.
The Airports Authority's local spending directly infused close to $912 million into the region
In 2017, The Airports Authority spent over $950.6 million on its operational expenses and capital
projects. Particularly noteworthy is that $767.9 million or 80% of this spending went to businesses
located in the region. Additionally, the Airports Authority paid its 1,883 direct employees $143.9
million in wages. The combined $911.8 million of local spending plus wages that the Airports
Authority infused into the region drove nearly $2.3 billion of economic output, over $1.5 billion of
GDP, and supported close to 11,300 local jobs across the region in 2017.