A Texas Department of Transportation study just released found the San Marcos Regional Airport contributed $82.1 million to the local economy, an 82 percent increase over a similar study conducted in 2010. “Growth and activity that happens at the airport has a real ripple effect throughout the entire region,” said Jim Wimberly of Texas Aviation Partners, the firm that manages the the airport, in a written statement. The study considers both direct and indirect economic effects of airports across the state and ranks San Marcos Regional as the 16th highest in economic benefits out of a total of 264. The San Marcos Regional Airport has been working to raise its profile for several years; next week work will begin on updating the 5-10 year master plan.