Airport touts generating more than $56M in tax revenue

Indianapolis International Airport generates more than $56.5 million in annual tax revenue that flows into state and local government coffers, according to a recent study by accounting and advisory firm BKD.

The Indianapolis Airport Authority was quick to tout the numbers, generated as part of a national study of airports.

The news is likely to irritate Decatur Township residents who regularly complain that the airport crimps the township tax base. The airport is a municipal entity exempt from paying property taxes. What generates the tax revenue is airport-dependent businesses such as car rental companies and logistics firms that generate taxes.

“The study did not include the additional tax revenue generated by the Indianapolis Airport Authority’s significant capital and operating expenditures nor the multiplier effect created by the investments of the IAA and associated businesses,” the authority said.