TDOT and commercial airports pitch $125M in state support, cite $28.9B statewide economic impact
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Summary
TDOT Aeronautics briefed the Senate panel on system needs and emerging technologies while commercial airports said state investments helped drive growth and requested $125 million in recurring and nonrecurring funding, citing an estimated $28.9 billion annual economic impact and about 171,000 supported jobs.
TDOT Aeronautics officials and executives from Tennessee’s five commercial airports told the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee that continued state funding is critical to preserve infrastructure, respond to growth and support emerging aviation technologies.
Jay Klein, TDOT legislative affairs director, introduced JP Solvecter, director of TDOT’s Aeronautics Division, who described the system the division oversees — 76 public-use airports including five air carrier airports — and outlined priorities such as safety compliance, airport preservation and workforce development. Solvecter said the department participates in the FAA state block grant program and administers funds to most general aviation airports in Tennessee.
Solvecter and airport executives described both accomplishments and pressures: the department’s asset-management work delivered millions in preventative pavement maintenance, and airports have used state funding to leverage bonding and finance projects, but aging pavement (an average pavement age of 21 years in the last statewide inspection) and inflation are constraining capacity. Solvecter said the division is ‘‘positioning Tennessee’s transportation network to remain resilient, future ready and trusted’’ as it integrates drones and advanced air mobility.
Representatives from the five commercial airports presented project plans and economic data. Doug Krillin, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, described the BNA concourse replacement project and said, "It will come back and open on 07/11/2028 and have 16 gates. It cost $855,000,000 to build this new concourse." Airport leaders said the five commercial airports now generate about $28.9 billion in statewide economic impact and support roughly 171,000 jobs; they estimated those airports return roughly $1.1 billion in state taxes and asked the legislature to approve $125,000,000 in the governor’s proposed budget to sustain projects statewide.
Senators asked about the methodology behind the economic-impact and tax calculations, particularly how freight and cargo activity (notably Memphis’ FedEx hub) is treated. TDOT and airport leaders said the last statewide study was done in 2019 and that an updated study is in progress, with work underway to better capture cargo impacts; they said philanthropic donations were not included in the aviation-specific tax calculations. Solvecter said the department hopes to complete a new economic study by October to improve measurement and incorporate air‑carrier input.
The briefing yielded no committee votes; senators were invited to visit airports and continue discussions about how state funding will be prioritized and distributed.