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Why are regional airports now a two-speed market and how can regional airports make the most of opportunities open to them?
Journal of Airport Management,
12
(1),
13-20
(2018)
Abstract
This paper explores why regional airports are now a two-speed market and how regional airports can make the most of the opportunities open to them. Airports are often classified into different categories, depending on their amount of traffic. Regarding the so called ‘regional airports’, it is possible to categorise them into three categories based on the traffic they are handling. This paper underlines the key differences between regional airports in terms of catchment area, network, traffic right issues, non-aeronautic revenue opportunities, intermodality, profitability and quality of service. The paper goes on to show the different challenges that regional airports have to deal with, in particular in terms of aeronautic revenues and non-aeronautical revenues. To summarise, regional airports are moving from a single business-to-business relationship to a dual business-to-business and business-to-customer relationship. Finally, the paper shows the importance of traffic rights issues for regional airports and how the situation could be improved for the benefit of both customers and the local economy by providing some practical proposals.
Keywords: traffic rights; regional airports; non-aeronautic revenues
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Jean-François Guitard joined Nice Airport in 1991 as a market research manager. In 1997, he became a network development manager. In 2000, he was appointed as Director of Airports Management Studies for the Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Nice. His job consisted of coordinating studies and research on behalf of 11 other major French Chambers of Commerce and industry and to promote a brand new status for major regional French airports (airport companies). He is the author of a 60-page white paper relating to this new privatised status and another one published in 2009 relating to the privatisation process of these regional airports. He is currently Director for International Development of the ‘Société des Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur’ and is in charge of institutional representation outside France for the airport and the development of foreign airports activities. He is also still involved in the process of creation of airports companies in France. He is a lecturer at the University of Aix en Provence in the airport management department (IFURTA), the French Civil Aviation School (ENAC) and Adjunct Professor at Embry Riddle University Worldwide. Furthermore, he is General Secretary of PROAVIA French Airport and ATC Technology Trade Association. Jean-François is a doctor in aviation law (thesis topic: six freedom rights) and has graduated with an Executive MBA from HEC Paris.
