DeKALB – DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport operates at a loss but still is valuable to the local economy, according to a state report.

A study from the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics states the airport contributes $10.7 million in economic activity and creates 81 full-time jobs in the area. Public Works Director T. J. Moore said the report accurately shows how the airport is a “multifaceted part of this community.”

“This is something we need to shout to the fences,” Moore said. “There’s always a lot said about the airport, and people have varying opinions on it, but the airport contributes enormously to the local community not in terms of economic impact, but in terms of jobs, in terms of recreation.”