Airports as a catalyst for regional labor market development and employment growth in the opinion of their stakeholders

Objectives Surveys were carried out in 2021, 2022 and 2023 to determine how residents of municipalities, representatives of municipal authorities and airport representatives, perceive the impact of the airport on the socio-economic situation of the municipality in which they are located, including the labor market. Material and methods In the course of the research, data on the operation of airports, municipalities and strategic documents of municipalities were analyzed and survey research was carried out using questionnaire and interview techniques. Results The research focused on 10 airports located in Poland. A total of 1,200 surveys were conducted among residents of municipalities, 10 interviews with local government and port officials (2021-2022) and 7 interviews with airport officials (2023). To analyze the collected data and present the results, Statistica v.13.3 and R/RStudio software were used. Airports are seen as a catalyst for the development of the regional labour market and employment growth in the opinion of their stakeholders. The perception of the impact of the airport in the opinion of their stakeholders depended on the size of the airport, its location in the municipality, the nature of the municipality and the level of education of the municipalities residents participating in the survey. Conclusions Airports, by combining air transport with other modes of transport, fuel local and regional development. Airports are home to institutions and companies that offer employment to workers in various fields. They also attract investors and positively influence the image of the region, contributing to the establishment of companies and the development of tourism, which also leads to job creation.