- 06-3027 Ranking Performance of Airports
Somchai Pathomsiri (corresponding), University of Maryland ([e-mail]) Ali Haghani, University of Maryland ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Correspondence Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
ABSTRACT The paper argues that airport performance should be ranked as well, just like other businesses and public services. The ranking provides very useful benchmark for airport managers to monitor and improve their operations. However, fair ranking is easier said than done. The nature of airport operation involves a variety of resources and target outputs; hence, stakeholders usually have different views on which measure should be based on. There are many possible measures for ranking airports such as number of passengers, aircraft movements, cargo volume, gate turn around time and financial ratios. It is always difficult to pick the common satisfactory measure. The paper proposes a ranking procedure that can take into account all possible measures to derive an overall performance score for ranking all airports accordingly. The model is applied to rank two sets of samples consisting of 75 and 94 airports around the world. The results show promising implications. It suggests that selection of performance measures for analysis is crucial for obtaining meaningful interpretation. It is found also that size of airport does not necessarily mean efficient use of input resources. Furthermore, the results also detect some under-utilized airports which are coincident to the present situation.
06-2279 - Development of an Airport Choice Model for General Aviation Operations
Senanu Ashiabor (corresponding), Virginia Polytechnic University & State University ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Correspondence Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Publication Only Abstract:
Abstract The General Aviation Airport Choice model presented estimates General Aviation (GA) persontrips and number of aircraft operations through a set of airports given initial trip demand (GA person trips) from a set of counties. A pseudo-gravity model embedded in the model is used to distribute the inter-county person-trips to the set of airports. The inter-airport person-trips are then split into person-trips by aircraft type (single, multi and jet engine). To split the trips an attractiveness factor based on average occupancy, level of utilization, a distance distribution factor and number of operations of each aircraft type is developed. The person-trips by aircraft type are then converted to aircraft operations using occupancy factors for each aircraft type. The final model output is number of aircraft operations by each aircraft type in the form of three inter-airport trip tables. The GA operations estimated provide a means of assessing the impact of GA activities on the National Airspace System. The model output may be used to assess the viability of GA aircraft serving as a competitive mode of transportation for intercity travel.
06-2272 - The Evolution of U.S. Domestic Airline Route Networks since 1990
Clinton Oster (corresponding), Indiana University ([e-mail]) John Strong, College of William and Mary ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
This paper examines how the networks of both the legacy airlines and the low-cost carriers evolved and adjusted to the changing competitive and economic environment between 1990 and 2003. The paper examines the route networks of Air Tran, America West, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Northwest, Southwest, United, and US Airways. Several measures of operational characteristics are developed and applied to the principal hubs and other dominant airports of each of these carriers. Particular attention is paid to the strategic use of regional jets operated by affiliated carriers and the extent to which passengers used connecting flights as opposed to direct flights. The analysis focuses on how these airlines adapted their use of hubs and route networks both during periods of economic growth and during recession as well as to other changes in the competitive environment. The legacy airlines have not backed away from the traditional hub and spoke network nor is there evidence of reduced emphasis on connecting traffic. Instead, the dominant change has been the dramatic increase in the role of regional jets flown by affiliated carriers in their primary hubs airports. The use of regional jets allowed the major airlines to increase the number of aircraft departures and the number of cities served from their hubs between 2000 and 2003 in the face of a reduced number of passengers.
Correspondence
06-2061 - Analyzing Productivity of Multiple Airport Systems
Somchai Pathomsiri, University of Maryland ([e-mail]) Ali Haghani (corresponding), University of Maryland ([e-mail]) Martin Dresner, University of Maryland - College Park ([e-mail]) Robert J. Windle, University of Maryland - College Park ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Correspondence Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
Being productive is an effective strategic management approach to achieve competitiveness in present aviation business. A good number of studies on airport productivity have been published providing benchmarks on several key indicators of excellent practice. Surprisingly, none addresses productivity of multiple-airport systems (MASs) although to plan, design, build, operate and maintain an MAS involves much more capital investment. In fact, several MASs have experienced functional failure with over-investment and underutilization. This unique study aims at analyzing the productivity of 25 competitive MASs around the world. The samples include 75 airports in four continents. The analysis period covers years 20002003. A non-parametric frontier approach, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), is used to assess total productivity of MASs. The ranking of productivity is also determined by applying "super-efficiency" DEA model. Furthermore, the paper provides benchmarking analysis both among MASs and with top airports operating in single airport systems (SASs). In addition, the study estimates regression models for predicting future productivity of MASs and SASs. The findings, insightful discussion and substantial policy implications should be very useful not only for managing existing MASs but also for future ones to come.
06-2061 - Analyzing Productivity of Multiple Airport Systems
Somchai Pathomsiri, University of Maryland ([e-mail]) Ali Haghani (corresponding), University of Maryland ([e-mail]) Martin Dresner, University of Maryland - College Park ([e-mail]) Robert J. Windle, University of Maryland - College Park ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Correspondence Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
Being productive is an effective strategic management approach to achieve competitiveness in present aviation business. A good number of studies on airport productivity have been published providing benchmarks on several key indicators of excellent practice. Surprisingly, none addresses productivity of multiple-airport systems (MASs) although to plan, design, build, operate and maintain an MAS involves much more capital investment. In fact, several MASs have experienced functional failure with over-investment and underutilization. This unique study aims at analyzing the productivity of 25 competitive MASs around the world. The samples include 75 airports in four continents. The analysis period covers years 20002003. A non-parametric frontier approach, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), is used to assess total productivity of MASs. The ranking of productivity is also determined by applying "super-efficiency" DEA model. Furthermore, the paper provides benchmarking analysis both among MASs and with top airports operating in single airport systems (SASs). In addition, the study estimates regression models for predicting future productivity of MASs and SASs. The findings, insightful discussion and substantial policy implications should be very useful not only for managing existing MASs but also for future ones to come.
06-1166 - The Concept of Inter-regional Polycentrism in Transport Infrastructures: Empirical Results from the Northern Iberian
lvaro Costa, University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering ([e-mail]) Carlos Cruz, University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering ([e-mail]) Sandra Melo (corresponding), University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering ([e-mail]) Joo Soares, University of Porto, Faculty of Engineering ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Correspondence Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
In this paper we will apply the concept of inter-regional polycentrism, which is used in the understanding of territorial dynamics, to the planning of airport networks in the Northern Iberian (the North Region of Portugal, and Galicia in Spain). We aim to demonstrate that airports in the Northern Iberian would be able to offer greater accessibility and reduced fares if they were to function in an inter-regional polycentric logic instead of in a monocentric logic on a national scale, as is the case at the moment. Currently the Spanish airports network depends heavily on the capital city airport functioning (Madrid). The Galician airports constitute poles without critical mass and greatly dependency on a central pole (Madrid). Using mathematical simulation, current air transport connections and fares available, we will attempt to understand what would happen if the undifferentiated airports of the Galician Region functioned complementarily and had sufficient critical mass to guarantee greater accessibility on an international scale. It was possible to conclude that if the Galician airports were to consolidate its critical mass and function as a stronger pole, similar to the way in which inter-regional polycentrism is applied in the territorial models, many advantages for both regions could be foreseen. Benefits resulting from this model would be a reduction in fares, greater international accessibility, less dependency on stronger poles and the promotion of the region on an international scale.
06-0395 - Modeling Passengers' Preferences on a ShortHaul Domestic Airline with Rank-Ordered Data Shlomo Bekhor
(corresponding), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology ([e-mail]) Uzi Freund-Feinstein, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Reviewing Correspondence Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
In recent years there is a growing interest in finding methods to measure and analyze airline passengers' preferences. The current state of the air transportation industry encourages an implementation of tools and methodologies intended for such purposes. This paper presents initial modeling results of a research on domestic airlines users' preferences. A field survey was conducted in five of Israel's domestic airports using a computerized questionnaire on a laptop computer. The respondents were asked to rank 4 alternatives with respect to main level of service variables. Separate models were estimated for 3 different passenger purposes: private, tourism and business. The paper compares the results between single choice logit models and rankordered logit models for all available observations. The results show that the combination between the first and second rank datasets produces efficient coefficient estimates, but not significantly better than the single choice logit models.
06-0053 - The development of international air links by regional airports in New Zealand
Graham Francis (corresponding), Waikato University, New Zealand ([e-mail]) David Lyon, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Correspondence Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
This paper discusses the development of Regional International Airports within a New Zealand context. The number of regional airports with international services has risen from none in 1994 to four in 2005, with others under consideration. The paper discusses the reasons behind the development of international services from regional airports, the changes to the transport patterns that they have caused, and the likely future development of regional international airports within New Zealand. Primary data was collected via interviews with employees of the seven current airport companies that operate international air services and other stakeholders. The paper utilizes secondary data including airport company annual reports, Airways Corporation and Civil Aviation Authority data, and the literature relating to the development and commercialization of airports.
06-2374 - Modeling airport and airline choice behaviour with the use of SP survey data
Stephane Hess (corresponding), Imperial College London, United Kingdom ([e-mail]) Thomas Jay Adler, Resource Systems Group, Inc ([e-mail]) John W. Polak, Imperial College London, United Kingdom ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Correspondence Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
The majority of studies of air-travel choice behaviour make use of Revealed Preference (RP) data, generally in the form of survey data collected from departing passengers. While the use of RP data has certain philosophical advantages over the use of Stated Preference (SP) data, major issues arise because of the often low quality of the data relating to the unchosen alternatives, in terms of explanatory variables as well as availability. As such, studies using RP survey data often fail to recover a meaningful fare coefficient, and are generally not able to offer a treatment of the effects of airline allegiance. In this paper, we make use of SP data for airport and airline choice collected in the US in 2001. The analysis retrieves significant effects relating to factors such as airfare, access-time, flight-time and airline and airport allegiance, illustrating the advantages of SP data in this context. Additionally, the analysis explores the use of non-linear transforms of the explanatory variables, as well as the treatment of continuous variations in choice behaviour across respondents.
06-1978 - The Change in Taiwan Domestic Air Transport Market Structure due to Deregulation Jin-Ru Yen (corresponding),
National Taiwan Ocean University ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
The well-documented Herfindahl-Hirschman index, the number of effective competitors, and the concentration ratio are used to investigate the variation of market structure before and after the deregulation of Taiwan domestic air transport market in 1987, which allowed new airlines to enter the market and new flight routes to be established. To address the market diversities in different routes, both the entire market and markets in specific routes are analyzed using the same methodology. The research results indicate that the market competition increases due to the deregulation policy, in both the entire market and the markets of specific flight routes. All markets seem to be disturbed after the implementation of the policy and then became stable again, with recent market competition being greater than the one before the implementation of the policy. In addition, the best concentration ratio indicator for Taiwan domestic air transport market is CR2, defined as the concentration ratio of the top two airlines in a specific market.
Correspondence
06-2434 - Estimating The Utility Of Time-of-day Demand For Airline Schedules Using A Mixed Logit Model Roger Allen Parker
(corresponding), Boeing Commercial Airplanes ([e-mail]) Joan L. Walker, Boston University ([e-mail]) General Assign Reviews Review Results Recommendations Reviewing Committee: AV020 - Aviation System Planning Submitted for: Presentation and Publication Abstract:
An essential element of demand modeling in the airline industry is the representation of time-ofday demand--the demand for a given itinerary as a function of its departure or arrival times. It is an essential datum that drives successful scheduling and fleet decisions. This discussion applies a mixed logit model to present the time-of-day demand problem from a new perspective, creating a continuous-time utility function formulation that has broader flexibility than other methods. A basic form of the model is estimated using data from a stated preference survey conducted by the Boeing Company in late 2004. The model specification is detailed, along with examinations of the variation found in key decision attributes and decision maker characteristics, and parameter estimates presented. Applications of the results within Boeing's passenger behavior research program are outlined, and current fur...