News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Upper Cumberland Regional Airport producing just over $29 million in economic impact across the region.
Those results from a Kimley-Horn economic impact study. Regional Airport Director Dean Selby said the last airport economic impact study came in 2019. Selby said the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport ranks second only to Chattanooga’s Airport in economic impact across region two.
“For us, it’s a huge number compared to where it used to be,” Selby said. “As we are growing it is becoming more and more impactful and we kind of wanted to make sure that everyone understands where those numbers stand and what the actual impact of the airport is.”
Selby said a lot of the contributing factors to the impact is the amount of money spent by people who visit by flying into the area. Selby said he believes the economic impact has gone up as more businesses are coming to the Upper Cumberland.
“As we generate more businesses in this area the Upper Cumberland becomes not just a local economic powerhouse but regional and now national with a lot of the national companies,” Selby said. “Those corporate people don’t come in by car. They fly in and we see multiple jet operations every day of corporal people coming here to look at property or here to expand their businesses.”
Selby said Cookeville is approaching metropolitan status and the airport is growing with it. Selby said having an adequate airport is one of the big requirements companies have before bringing a business to the area.
“A lot of times we will see it before the cities and counties and those people do and they will request things like can your airport handle the following aircraft because this is a yes or no question,” Selby said. “If not we are going somewhere else. That’s a pretty important one to a lot of the bigger businesses. They have to have the ability to be within 10-20 minutes from their site.”
Selby said he expects the economic impact to continue to increase over the next few years as the Upper Cumberland is rapidly growing.
