General Aviation A Major Economic Driver In Florida and Georgia
General Aviation (GA) is a major contributor to both job growth and state GDP in both Florida and Georgia, according to a new industry report from PwC commissioned by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
Contribution of General Aviation to the US Economy in 2023 is the title of the 70-page report which examines both national and state-level contributions of GA manufacturing, operations, traveler expenditures and international trade.
Both Florida and Georgia rank among the Top 5 States in terms of the total economic contribution of General Aviation with Florida slotting at #2 behind California and Georgia ranking #4 right behind Texas.
According to the report, General Aviation accounts for 121,000 jobs in Florida as well as contributing $27.4 billion to total output and $14.1 billion to state GDP. In Georgia, those numbers are 56,800 jobs, $16.3 billion, and $8.4 billion.
To read the full PwC report, visit gama.aero.
Slate Aviation Opens New MRO Facility In Middle Georgia
Slate Aviation, one of the largest operators of VIP Bombardier CRJ and Challenger 850 aircraft in the United States, has just unveiled an 80,000-square-foot Aviation MRO and Cabin Conversion Facility at Middle Georgia Regional Airport.
The grand opening of the new facility at the former Bombardier Service Center Complex was made in conjunction with Macon-Bibb County officials who welcomed Slate’s “world class FBO shaped like a guitar” for “truly putting Macon-Bibb on the map.”
According to the official press release, Slate Aviation will use the new facility to support maintenance and cabin conversions of its nearly 35 CRJ-200 aircraft to VIP charter and shuttle seating configurations, for use in both its private charter and per-seat services within the Continental U.S, the Caribbean, and Canada.
For more information, visit flyslate.com.
Jet OUT Opens New Base At Fort Lauderdale International
Jet OUT, a provider of luxurious, personalized private jet services, has announced the opening of a new base of operations at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL).
On the company’s official landing page, Jet OUT says its South Florida-based fleet is supported by local pilots and mechanics flying locally-based aircraft. The company hopes to appeal to Florida passengers as far north as Stuart and as far west as Naples and Sarasota.
In addition to 14 domestic destinations, the new Jet OUT base in Fort Lauderdale will offer non-stop international service to Aruba, Cancun, George Town (CI), Liberia, Nassau, Panama City and Punta Cana.
For more information, visit jetout.com.
ATL International Passenger Levels Surge To Pre Pandemic Levels
International passenger volumes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) surged to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, according to a new press release. ATL served 108.1 million international passengers in 2024, second only to the 110 million passengers the airport served in 2019.
In the official press release, Interim Airport GM Jan Lennon put ATL’s nine-figure passenger accommodation achievement in perspective:
“Surpassing 108 million passengers in 2024 is a testament to Hartsfield-Jackson’s unmatched connectivity, operational excellence, and our relentless commitment to the traveler experience.”
Other key passenger and operations highlights at ATL in 2024 included:
- A 3% increase in passenger growth over 2023 driven by domestic and international travelers
- A 2.6% increase in takeoffs and landing to 796,224
- A 6% increase in cargo operations compared to 2023
In terms of terminal upgrades to meet rising passenger volumes, ATL’s Concourse D is in the midst of a very ambitious concourse expansion and widening project with new modules being constructed and transported from an adjacent yard to the existing terminal which originally opened in 1980.
The World’s Busiest Airport is planning to reach another milestone of 125 million passengers sometime over the next five years.
For more information, visit atl.com.
ATP Flight School Expands With 61 New Aircraft For 2025
This week ATP Flight School, the nation’s leading supplier of airline pilots, announced a significant expansion of the school’s fleet with the addition of 61 factory-new aircraft in 2025.
Jacksonville Beach-based ATP says the new deliveries will include 54 Cessna 172 Skyhawks made in Kansas and 7 brand new Piper Seminoles manufactured on the Treasure Coast in Vero Beach. All of the aircraft feature the latest Garmin G1000 flight decks.
ATP boasts one of the industry’s most modern training fleets with a total of 614 aircraft including 133 new deliveries in the past two years alone. Going forward, ATP plans to add 40 new aircraft each year through 2027.
ATP Vice President of Marketing, Michael Arnold, says continued investment in new aircraft is essential for a flight training school that conducts 850 daily flights logging close to 600,000 flight hours annually:
“This commitment to our students and instructors is only made possible through an unmatched investment in aircraft and safety, allowing aspiring pilots to train with confidence on the most efficient path to a successful airline pilot career.” – Michael Arnold
For more information, visit atpflightschool.com.
Vertiport Development Taking Shape At Orlando International Airport
Once again, it appears that Florida’s busiest airport is about to get even busier.
The planned vertiport to accommodate future eVTOL aircraft arriving at Orlando International Airport (MCO) took another step forward at the recent Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) board meeting.
In addition to identifying undeveloped parcels for future development of the new facilities, the GOAA published an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) to “identify potential partners capable of developing and operating a Vertiport at MCO.”
While anticipating a fully operational vertiport at MCO in 2028, Kevin J. Thibault, CEO of GOAA explained how MCO plans to stay on the leading edge of advanced air mobility:
“Developing a vertiport at Orlando International Airport is a key step in advancing our mission to be the global leader in the evolution of mobility. This project directly supports our vision to drive innovation and position Central Florida and the state at the forefront of Advanced Air Mobility. ” – Kevin J. Thibault
For more information, visit flymco.com.
Doroni Aerospace Raises $30M To Drive eVTOL Development
In other eVTOL news, Doroni Aerospace, a Florida-based manufacturing company and leader in personal electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology, has secured a $30 million strategic investment to accelerate development of the company’s H1-X eVTOL aircraft.
According to terms of the definitive agreement, Saudi Arabia’s Innovation Wings Industries (IWI) will invest $5 million at closing with an additional $25 million tied to key development milestones over between now and 2027 when the joint venture plans to begin manufacturing the H1-X in Saudi Arabia.
Doron Merdinger, Founder and CEO of Pompano Beach-based Doroni says the investment and partnership will strengthen Doroni’s ability to scale production and deliver globally:
We are excited to welcome Innovation Wings Industries as a strategic investor and manufacturing partner. This investment fuels and accelerates the H1-X development, while our joint venture will establish the production infrastructure necessary for global distribution. – Doron Merdinger
For more information, visit doroni.io.
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