(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) - The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities' Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) today announced the completion of the Economic Impact Study for Lake Hood Seaplane Base (LHD). The report was commissioned in conjunction with the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) and was completed by the McDowell Group. The full report is available on the ANC website.

General aviation, particularly that generated from Lake Hood Seaplane Base, was at the heart of settlement and growth in remote areas of Alaska, and is part of the proud roots of the state's aviation history. The economic impact study defines the current economic importance of the beloved landmark and helps identify how relevant the airport is for Alaskans.

Key findings in the study are:

• LHD has a total economic impact of $42 million. The direct economic impact is $25 million, and indirect impact is $17 million.
• Including direct, indirect and induced employment, LHD accounts for an estimated 230 jobs in 2012. This translates into approximately $14 million in labor income in 2012.
• LHD supports additional economic activity with many businesses and communities that rely on flight service provided by air charter operators, including fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing lodges.
• The majority of the 23,000 non-resident Alaska visitors who purchased a flightseeing tour from May 2011 to April 2012 flew out of LHD.
• Resource development, including mining exploration in Southwest, Southeast and Interior Alaska; oil and gas production in Cook Inlet, and resource and infrastructure development supporting private sector and government environmental research programs, are supported out of LHD.
  

“Lake Hood Seaplane Base is a great gem for the city of Anchorage,” says Tim Coons, LHD Manager. “We’re so fortunate to have this airport right in the heart of Anchorage, providing the economic engine that provides jobs for Alaskans, recreation activities for residents and visitors, and serving dozens of communities that are only accessible by air.”

Lake Hood Seaplane Base consists of Lake Hood, Lake Spenard and an adjacent gravel airstrip. LHD is considered the busiest seaplane base in the world, with approximately 500 float plane slips, and 500 wheeled airplane tie-downs. When the lake freezes in the winter, over 100 ski equipped airplanes use the ice runway.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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