The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) celebrates the month of May as General Aviation Appreciation Month. General aviation supports a vital role in the state’s response to business development, job creation, aerospace manufacturing, aviation education, emergency management, agricultural support, and search and rescue operations.
“On behalf of the whole department, we recognize the significant impacts and contributions of general aviation in Louisiana,” said DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue. “DOTD encompasses numerous transportation modes. The Office of Multimodal Commerce is a major component of the agency, and the safety of air travel is an extremely important part of our infrastructure for passengers and cargo alike.”
General aviation transforms the way people and goods move around Louisiana and the nation, uniting distant markets and enhancing the state’s economy. Throughout Louisiana, the 61 general aviation airports provide support and stimulate the economy by attracting and retaining businesses that allow companies to move people and goods in a timely and safe manner.
General aviation contributes over $1.1 billion in economic impact and supports over 10,000 jobs across the state, with an annual payroll of more than $469 million. DOTD’s commissioner of multimodal commerce, Julia Fisher-Cormier, says, “Aviation is crucial in supporting successful integration of multimodal commerce development initiatives in connecting Louisianans to critical transportation networks and improving the local, regional, and state economies.”
