Arnold Palmer Airport's economic impact grew to $200M last year
Nearly $200 million was funneled into the region last year by operations at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity, state calculations show.
The growing economic impact is evident along Route 30 near the airport, township Supervisor Michael O'Barto said.
“There's been a tremendous amount of development,” he said.
That economic impact has grown steadily since Spirit Airlines began operations at the airport in February 2011, according to data from the state Bureau of Aviation. In 2012, the state reported that about $141 million was funneled into the economy by airport operations.
That amount increased 41 percent over the next three years, said Gabe Monzo, director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority.
In 2010, before the Florida-based discount carrier started flights there, the airport's impact was valued at about $97 million, according to a state study.
“That's pretty impressive,” Monzo said. “We knew that we were better, but we didn't know how much better.”
Passenger traffic rose 44 percent in a year, from about 122,000 travelers in 2014 to more than 176,000 last year.
The upswing has resulted in an “exponential” return on the county's annual disbursement to the authority, which includes the Unity airport and Rostraver Airport, Commissioner Ted Kopas said. In 2015 and 2016, the county allocated about $2.3 million annually to the authority.
“It obviously represents a significant boost to our local economy and really proves the value of the county's investment in it,” he said.
The state aviation bureau determines economic impact based on spending by visitors, as well as businesses and government. Also factored in are employees purchasing goods and services. Monzo said the airport employs 57 people and Spirit Airlines has about 36 employees.
In the past few years, a hotel was built along Route 30 and Unity Village Shoppes filled with tenants, including a Starbucks. O'Barto said cooperation among the airport authority, county officials and the township has helped the township capitalize on the growth.
“They have worked with us on economic development issues,” he said. “When the (proper officials) get together and they have a great relationship, this is the result.”
Local officials can help the airport's future success, said Jim Smith, director of the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland. He thinks an important factor will be the improvement of Route 981 between Route 30 near the airport and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
“The fact that the Arnold Palmer Airport has been growing by this extent does relieve some of the burden on taxpayers and businesses,” Smith said.
Commissioner Charles Anderson said it's important for the airport to continue its path of positive economic impact on the region.
“Having Spirit out there is wonderful,” he said. “I would like to have another airline” to offer commuter flights and roomier waiting rooms.
Those ideas could be in the cards as the airport is planning terminal and parking lot expansions.
A variety of airlines ferrying business and pleasure travelers around the country is the “ultimate goal,” Monzo said. “We'd like to see some type of business travel take hold.”
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374 or rsignorini@tribweb.com.
