How to Develop Air Service Goals and Objectives and Evaluate ASD Efforts
One key to a successful plan and program is setting goals. When developing goals for ASD, the SMART strategy (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound) can be followed. Objectives are the specific measures that can be used to determine whether or not you are successful in achieving the goal.
ASD goals will be different for every community based on a variety of factors including size, existing fares or service, leakage, and local businesses. Chapter 7, Establishing and Validating ASD Goals of ACRP Report 18 Passenger Air Service Development Techniques identifies general categories of ASD objectives:
- Retaining existing service
- Adding service to a new destination
- Adding frequencies to current services
- Lowering fares/introducing new competitive service
- Improving service reliability
- Upgrading aircraft
- Increasing access to global networks
Engaging key stakeholders and community members at the onset of air service development efforts can reinforce the understanding that air service and air service development are community issues, not just airport issues. When a community is effectively engaged, expectations for ASD goals can be more realistic and buy-in can be increased.
Frequent assessments of the ASD program provide a systematic way to evaluate goals and strategies to make adjustments as needed. Chapter 10, Evaluating and Improving ASD Efforts of ACRP Report 18 Passenger Air Service Development Techniques outlines how to evaluate and improve these ASD efforts. It recommends that an annual evaluation by a neutral third party be conducted. The effectiveness of an ASD program can be measured by knowing and understanding the objectives, measuring outcomes, and attributing causation.