The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects more than 25 million travelers to take to the skies this year for Thanksgiving, one of the busiest holidays on record. While many travelers think of dairy when it comes to buttery mashed potatoes and whipped cream with pie, few know that dairy also is an important support of air transportation.

Not only do dairy products need to be shipped throughout the country, but a number of the 978,000 dairy professionals need to fly for business to make sales calls, visit plants and ensure that dairy products like milk, ice cream and cheese are properly stored and presented at retail.

By purchasing tickets and other services, dairy companies create 1,800 jobs in air transportation for pilots, ground personnel, flight attendants and cargo handlers.

In addition, dairy professionals and supplier firm employees fly both for business and pleasure. They also purchase products that are shipped by air. All told, these purchases generate an additional 2,500 jobs in the air transportation industry.

Overall, the dairy industry creates more than $1.7 billion in economic impact and supports $421.5 million in wages for the American air transportation industry.

Dairy Delivers®

IDFA is taking these deep dives into the data of Dairy Delivers®, its economic impact tool, to demonstrate dairy’s economic power and its ripple effect on other American industries.

Access IDFA’s Dairy Delivers® here.

Members with questions may contact Dave Carlin, IDFA senior vice president of legislative affairs and economic policy, at dcarlin@idfa.org.