Effect of Airport Distance on Traffic Generation

Discussions of the landing-area requirements of jet-transport aircraft have a tendency to influence both engineers and laymen to think only in terms of developing new outlying airports rather than of redeveloping “close-in” airports. However, experience at the few locations for which usable data are available demonstrates clearly that airport distance of any magnitude has a decided depressive effect on air-traffic generation. In addition, the redevelopment of close-in airport, as against the development of an outlying airport, saves the community the added costs which would result from longer ground travel; the value of the associated added ground time; the benefits of the airport payroll; and the loss of an important attraction of new industry. Consequently, before a choice is made between a distant location or a close-in location for a municipal airport, the effect of airport distance on air-traffic generation, and the resultant financial effects should be evaluated.