Study Airport gives lift to South Jersey region
Listen to this articleAtlantic City International Airport added more than 4,000 jobs, $138 million of wages and salaries, and $22.4 million in tax revenue, to South Jersey’s economy from 2007 through 2010, according to a study done by the Center for Regional and Business Research at Atlantic Cape Community College.
Passenger traffic at the airport was up 31 percent in 2010 over the previous year, and first-quarter 2011 counts indicate the upswing will continue in 2011, according to the South Jersey Transportation Authority that operates the airport. But it could be doing even better, said Atlantic Cape Community College Director Richard C. Perniciaro, who organized the study.
“In an area where things are not going well, the airport is a jobs generator,” he said. “But the flip side is that the Atlantic City airport is underutilized.”
The airport is limited by being tied so closely to Atlantic City, which is suffering from new casino competition in nearby Pennsylvania and other areas, he added.
“More promotion needs to be done to bring visitors to the South Jersey region, instead of just promoting Atlantic City,” Perniciaro said.
Martin C. Daks
