Role of Helicopters in Airport Access

This paper is intended to provide guidelines for the assessment of the potential feasibility of helicopter airport access systems. Following a review of the present status of such systems, the paper develops a helicopter cost model and a computerized method for analyzing helicopter networks in a given urban setting. The analysis provides two indicators of the economic feasibility of the development of such a system in a given region. These are the cost per seat-mile and the required market penetration rate. The latter represents the percentage of air travelers who must use the system in order to render it feasible under currently practiced operating strategies. The model is then applied to 20 metropolitan areas. It is found that five areas have a high potential for the development of such a system. Caveats of the noneconomic impediments to helicopter airport access system development are also briefly considered.