The Future of Secondary Airports: Nodes of a parallel air transport network?

As of 2004, the future of the traditional airlines is at stake. By extension, so is the future for their platforms, their airports. Once air transport became open to unregulated competition, many kinds of innovative companies have challenged the ‘legacy’ airlines. Whether the innovators focus on passengers (Southwest, Ryanair), integrated cargo (DHL, Fedex) or the airports themselves (Frankfurt/Hahn, Boston/Providence), they fundamentally challenge the traditional business model for airlines. Since the airport business is closed tied to that of the airlines, the presumption must be that the past airport business proposition is also changing. The paper offers a perspective and presents a unique global set of data on secondary airports. It is based on the observation of their evolution over many years. It includes both the extensive experience in North America, where air transport has been more intensely developed than on other continents, and extended observations of developments in Europe and other continents. This article suggests that we may be witnessing the development of 3 air transport networks based on distinct airports. These will serve the traditional airlines, the “low cost” carriers, and integrated freight. These networks intersect but, since they have different needs, they will demand and obtain substantial independence. This hypothesis leads to two propositions. The first is that many secondary, “low cost” airports will develop in metropolitan regions, and will undermine many grandiose projects at the major airports. The second is that the development of independent networks will decentralize air transport toward smaller communities, not only to serve these markets, but also to serve the continental market. The paper closes with suggestions about how existing airport and airline companies might best respond to the possible developments of the innovative, often ‘low cost’ airlines. In brief, the main thought is that the responsible leaders should coherently support the development of the innovative airlines that may represent their future.. The Future of Secondary Airports: Nodes of a parallel air transport network? Richard de NEUFVILLE