The Airport Business

Airports were once seen as just another, fairly inconsequential arm of the public sector. Over the past 20 years however, it has become obvious that airports can actually run as successful and profitable businesses. Despite this success, the industry has, until now, had no guide to the principles underlying it. Rigas Doganis opens with an overview of the airport business, examining patterns of ownership and control of the world's largest airports. He considers the key issues which will affect airport managers during the 1990's, such as privatisation, the growing shortfall in airport capacity and the need to develop new and innovative sources of finance. Professor Doganis analyses the traditional cost and revenue systems that have been developed for aircraft landing fees and passenger charges. He goes on to compare cost pricing. The author also discusses the need for a commercial strategy and the question of how to maximise airport revenue from the various activities at the airport operated by others. He also argues for the importance of developing airport performance indicators. All this can be applied internationally but because of the unique system practised in the US, a chapter is devoted to the experience there. Likewise, there are difficulties specific to the Third World, examined in a separate chapter. As the airport industry continues to grow, The Airport Business offers an insight into how to overcome the major economic and financial problems that it will have to confront in the 1990s.