Ohio Airport System Plan Ranks the Wilmington Air Park 3rd in Statewide Economic Impact

Cargo-and industrial-focused airport in the same tier as CMH and CLE

WILMINGTON, Ohio (September 30, 2026)—The Ohio Airport System Plan update current draft places the Wilmington Air Park (ILN) third among Ohio airports in overall economic impact, at over $4 Billion, positioning the Air Park alongside John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) as one of the state's most consequential aviation assets.

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) developed the Ohio Airport System Plan as a comprehensive, 20-year framework for evaluating and strengthening Ohio's system of publicly owned, public-use airports. Completing the study and plan involved gathering hundreds of data points on all the airports around the state. The plan's economic-impact analysis examines airport-supported employment, payroll, economic output and related business activity. The full study results will be released later this fall.

"This ranking confirms what our community has long understood: the Wilmington Air Park is an economic engine with statewide significance," said T. Alex Beres, Executive Director of the Clinton County Port Authority. "To rank third among Ohio airports, and to stand in the same tier of economic impact as John Glenn Columbus International and Cleveland Hopkins, is particularly meaningful because Wilmington's impact is generated primarily through cargo, aircraft maintenance, logistics and industrial activity rather than passenger service."

The Wilmington Air Park is especially distinctive among the airports at the top of the statewide rankings. Unlike Ohio's largest passenger-service airports, ILN is predominantly an industrial and cargo airport. The network of businesses located at and surrounding the Air Park employ skilled technicians and logistics associates that create a significant local, regional and state-wide impact.

The Air Park is one of the largest employment centers in Southwest Ohio. Major operations at the Air Park include the headquarters of Air Transport Services Group, an Amazon Air Hub, GA Telesis, First Class Air Support, and Vector Electromagnetics.

"Sometimes it is difficult to be able to contextualize the impact the Air Park has without the updates like these made in the Ohio Airport System Plan," said Beth Ellis, Chair of the Clinton County Port Authority Board. "It reflects the strength of the great businesses operating here. This is an economic development airport."

The result also demonstrates that an airport's importance cannot be measured solely by passenger traffic. The Wilmington Air Park's concentration of aviation, industrial and logistics activity supports employment and business operations extending well beyond the boundaries of the airport and Clinton County.

Often businesses and site selectors seek background information on areas, infrastructure and business health from sources such as this two-year review and study of all airports in the state. These data points will help Ohio, the community and the Wilmington Air Park to be represented well with comparable data across the state and the nation.

Beth Huber, Chief Operating Officer of the Clinton County Port Authority, served on the Ohio Airport System Plan Project Advisory Committee, which helped oversee and guide the statewide planning effort. ODOT identified the committee as an essential project partner, bringing together airport management, economic-development organizations, aviation advocates and state transportation professionals.

"Beth's participation helped ensure that the perspective of a cargo- and industry-focused airport was represented throughout the planning process," Beres said. "The updated plan recognizes the importance of these different airport models and the complementary roles they play in Ohio's economy. There is no more knowledgeable person or bigger advocate for the Air Park than Beth. She was absolutely essential to this update being successful."

The updated Ohio Airport System Plan is designed as an interactive and updatable planning resource that can respond to changing aviation activity, infrastructure needs and economic conditions. It will help guide future state and local decisions concerning airport investment, system capacity, infrastructure and economic development. The updated plan draft can be found here: https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/travel/aviation/ohio-airport-system-plan.

About the Clinton County Port Authority

le Clinton County Port Authority is a special purpose government formed to operate insportation infrastructure and lead economic development efforts. Designated by Clinton unty, the City of Wilmington, and the CIC of Wilmington as the lead Economic Development ency for the County, it coordinates with the Dayton Development Coalition and JobsOhio to ract jobs to, and retain jobs in, the area. It has been voted a Best Workplace for the last seven irs. The Port Authority owns and operates the Wilmington Air Park, an integrated aviation and istics business park located on 1,900 acres with nearly three million square feet of industrial, ce and hangar space. It is the highest volume cargo airport in Ohio and ranked 23rd in the ted States. Learn more at www.ChooseClintonCountyOH.org and www.WilmingtonAirPark.com.