Airport Development in a Volatile Environment

The turn of the century unveiled plans for unprecedented construction at U. S. airports. By 2001, several airport construction programs were initiated which exceeded a billion dollars. Airport growth is driven directly by travel demand, both for passengers and freight, leading to construction of roads and transit, airfields and terminal facilities at all major U. S. airports. The attack on America and its results have challenged all the previous airport development assumptions. Will air travel demand return? Will the economy sustain the tremendous growth in leisure travel experienced in the 1990s? Can airlines afford airport construction projects? The current environment in the aviation industry is the case study. How do we plan and manage large airport development programs in a dynamic business environment? This paper proposes a methodology for responding to changes in demands, economies and community concerns surrounding airport development programs.