Evolution and Development of Multiairport Systems: Worldwide Perspective

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the dynamics of evolution of multiairport systems worldwide that can help to guide their effective development in the future. Given the capacity constraints on existing major airports, the development of multiairport systems is going to be a key mechanism by which air transportation systems around the world will be able to meet future demand. In order to better understand how these systems will evolve, a systematic case study analysis of 59 airport systems worldwide was performed. The analysis showed significant differences in the evolution of multiairport systems across world regions. In the United States and in Europe, the recent development of multiairport systems primarily involved the emergence of secondary airports. This dynamic was driven by the entry of low-cost carriers seizing the opportunity of using existing airport infrastructure but also by the barriers and opposition to the construction of green field airports. In Asia, multiairport systems have generally evolved through the construction of new high capacity airports, due to a much weaker set of available airports, high-perceived benefits of strong growth of traffic and weaker opposition to the construction of airports. This study suggests that, in the United States and in Europe, protecting existing underused airports will be key to meeting future demand. In Asia, where the existing underused airport infrastructure is weak and where projections of high volume of demand are high, there is the need to apply a dynamic approach to develop multiairport systems by reserving land area that can later be developed into airports.