Pursuing Air Service at a Non-Commercial Service Airport
In today’s airline operating environment, it would be difficult to obtain air service at an airport that does not currently support service. Every airport, both commercial service and general aviation, plays a unique role and is of great value to its community. Right-sizing an airport by understanding an airport’s unique role will allow the airport to realize its future potential and support aviation in the community.
Across the industry, obtaining new air service can be a considerable and expensive undertaking, and this is especially true in small communities. Small communities have several unique challenges when pursuing new or improved air service, which are discussed in Smaller Community Air Service Challenges. These challenges include meeting operational requirements (airport’s role) and determining demand (community’s role). Fervent community support and an active air service task force, addressed in How to Establish a Community Air Service Task Force, are both tools to overcome these challenges.
Operational Requirements
Airports that serve regularly scheduled air carrier operations (i.e. Part 139 airports) must meet a specific set of standards regarding operating requirements, security, and terminal facilities, which are different from airports that do not accommodate regularly scheduled air carriers. Differences between airports with regularly scheduled commercial flights and those which only service private, charter, military, and/or cargo operators include:
- Requirements and standards
- Operational rules
- Security procedures and restrictions
- Facilities (airfield, security, and terminal)
In general, the facilities required to handle commercial airline operations and the associated passenger traffic are considerably greater than non-commercial service airports.
Each airport is unique. Accordingly, the specifics and costs associated with the transition to a commercial service airport will vary. Airport owners and operators interested in making the jump from a non-commercial service airport to a commercial service airport are prudent to investigate the infrastructure and regulatory requirements early in the process. The FAA and the TSA work with airports to identify specific items that can be addressed in the transition.
Determining Demand
In addition to physical infrastructure needs, defining a realistic market area and determining demand associated with the market area poses a unique challenge at non-commercial airports due to the lack of existing data. Demand can be estimated through community surveys and Market Intelligence Data Tapes (MIDT) data to determine how often local passengers are using more distant airports. MIDT data is reservation data captured by travel agents from the major global distribution systems. In order to approach an airline to propose new scheduled service, it’s a good idea for an airport to have a solid understanding of their potential passenger market and how competing airports will be impacted. Because this is a highly competitive and complex industry, airports often work with a professional air service development consultant.
It is difficult to change existing travel patterns and an airport will not be able to capture all passengers associated with their market area. If passengers are used to driving to distant airports, the airport will need an ambitious marketing plan to help educate passengers on why to fly local and the airport should be prepared to offer incentives to the airlines to mitigate risks.