The Demand for Aviation Activities at General Aviation Airports: An Empirical Study

Abstract

This paper develops two models that relate the number of aircraft operations and number of based aircraft at general aviation airports to certain socioeconomic variables and characteristics of the counties where the airports exist. The results of the first model indicate that the demand for aircraft operations is inelastic with respect to population of the county and is elastic with respect to per capita income. The results also indicate that runway length, location of the county as a vacation destination, and presence of military and/or industrial bases have significant impact on airport demand. The results of estimating the number of based aircraft at general aviation airports suggest that the demand is inelastic with respect to both population and per capita income. The demand is also responsive to the location of the county as a vacation destination.

Authors

• Ghobrial, Atef Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Ramdass, Don Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University