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DEARBORN / June 11, 2007---Freight and passenger traffic at Willow Run Airport represented $200 million in economic impact and more than 2,000 jobs in Michigan in 2006, according to a study by researchers at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

“A strong air cargo link is important to a successful economic development strategy,” said Lester W. Robinson, CEO of the Wayne County Airport Authority.  “This study shows that the billions of dollars in cargo which go through Willow Run each year already support many local businesses and jobs, and that growth at Willow Run means growth for Michigan’s businesses.”

The report was based on a study done by faculty members at iLABS, the UM-Dearborn College of Business's Center for Innovation Research.  Led by Lee Redding, assistant professor of business economics, the study estimated the economic impact of the airport on Wayne County and on the state as a whole, measured in terms of revenues, incomes and jobs.

Within Wayne County, the airport’s economic impact was more than $100 million, generating more than 700 jobs and earnings of $22 million.

Redding emphasized that the airport’s impact is more than just the jobs it supports.  

“Willow Run’s true potential for supporting Michigan's future lies in the infrastructure it represents rather than simply the people employed directly at the airport,” he said.

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