Air Demand Modelling: overview and application to a developing regional airport

4 Air demand modelling: overview and application to a developing regional airport M. Nadia Postorino University ‘Mediterranea’ of Reggio Calabria, Italy Abstract Air demand forecast at airports is animportant problem for the airport management and also for the regulator that has to plan a homogeneousdevelopment of the overall transport system. The current tendency is towards airport privatization; then, the goal to increase the served demand is one of the most important together with the progress of non-aviation activities. The evolution of the air transport system both in terms of low-cost companies, thatgenerally use regional airports, and new technologies (as regional jets) has given a further impulse to the development of planning methodologies able tosupportdecisions for an efficient distribution of resources. Regional airports can play an important role in this new background if the most suitable developing strategiesare identified. This chapter wants togive a generaloverview about the problemof the air demand modelling, both in terms of theoretical approaches andpractical problems. Models are classified with respect todifferent criteria, and the most suitable models for eachplanning level are also identified.Anapplication toa regional airport inSouthern Italy is also presented in order to testsome of the described approaches and to obtainpractical indications aboutapplied models and developing strategies tobe used.