Smyrna Airport's Annual Economic Impact Tops $1 Billion, Up From $232 Million in 2019, TDOT Study Finds

Smyrna Airport in Tennessee generates more than $1 billion in annual economic impact, more than quadrupling its 2019 figure, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation's 2026 Aviation Economic Impact Study. The study put the airport's impact at $1.02 billion, supporting 3,995 jobs and $356.9 million in payroll, compared with $232 million in TDOT's 2019 study. Statewide, Tennessee's 76 public-use airports and off-airport air cargo activity generate $53.8 billion in annual economic activity, support 236,000 jobs and account for nearly $18 billion in payroll, and aviation-related activity contributes 9% of the state's gross domestic product.

Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority Executive Director Evan Lester said the airport's business park and aviation-related operations drove much of the increase. More than 50 businesses operate at the airport, including NFI Industries, Hunter Industrial Fans, Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems, Hollingshead Aviation and Contour Airlines. Lester said visitors flying into Smyrna generate about $120 million in economic impact through business and leisure spending, and he pointed to Middle Tennessee State University's role in preparing workers for aviation careers.

The airport is also investing in infrastructure. A two-phase runway reconstruction project, costing approximately $40 million, is underway; the 8,038-foot runway has not been reconstructed since it was built in the 1940s. The second phase is expected to begin in April 2027 and take about 120 days, with completion expected by September 2027. A $5 million project is preparing roughly 3.4 acres of a 40-acre parcel for future aviation-related businesses, and the airport is finishing design of a replacement air traffic control tower, as the existing tower is about 74 years old.

The airport has about 200 acres available for future development. Its runway is one of only two in Middle Tennessee longer than 8,000 feet and can accommodate aircraft as large as a Boeing 747, Lester said. The airport is working with the Tennessee National Guard on a potential relocation from Nashville International Airport to Smyrna, which Lester said could bring more than 1,000 Guard members to the airport and surrounding community. It has also reserved property for a potential commercial terminal that could link Rutherford County to the national air travel network.