State College pa Airport

An economic-impact study released Wednesday on Pennsylvania's aviation industry attempts to quantify the boost that some of the state's airports are getting thanks to Marcellus Shale-related travel.

While no dollar value is specifically tied to the natural gas industry as it relates to aviation in Pennsylvania, the study makes clear the impact of the Marcellus Shale. Thirteen percent of business travelers surveyed said they were on energy business, the highest percentage of travelers in the survey. And the study said that visitors tied to the tend to spend more than other types of travelers.

That's been a boon for commercial airports like Altoona-Blair County Airport, Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Bradford Regional Airport, Dubois Regional Airport and John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport.

"Because the workers stay for longer periods of time in the commonwealth than many other visitors, they have higher average expenditures per person," the study said.

Follow this company or Allegheny County Airport. Both airports, owned by the Allegheny County Airport Authority, have in recent years released their own economic impact studies, and the data was mostly used in this new report.source