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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 0086.PDF
MOVING OUT With 1992 rapidly approaching, and the European Central Flow Management System becoming a reality, along with the new open skies policy, regional airports throughout the world are likely to step up their development to meet the new challenges being offered. How regional airports have devel oped to date, and their plans for the future, are examined by Emma Stynes in London, Gilbert Sedbon in Paris, and John Bailey in Los Angeles. Regional and provincial airports today face a challenge which should . delight them—coping with the growth which results from the fact that the major centres are full. Globally, air traffic is reaching huge proportions and, while most major hub airports in Europe and the USA still carry the majority of traffic, many are expected to reach saturation point in the next few years. As the wealth grows, the number of flights from any one country increases, accelerating the demand for flights. It will be necessary for governments to look to their regional airports as viable alternatives to the major city hubs. The European Commission decisions governing air transport are and will be integral with regional airport development within EC and non-EC countries. The EC's package governing air transport describes an open skies policy and advocates the abolition of those regulations inhibiting competition. The EC rulings and the world's need for greater runway capacity and more inter national airports have to be beneficial for regional airports. Geoffrey Lipman, director of the Inter national Foundation of Airline Passengers Associations, says that the expansion of regional airports is inevitable. He explains that it is necessary to relieve the pressure at hubs. "We all know that air passengers would much rather travel to their destinations from an airport close to their homes," he says. "As the full effects of liberalisation are felt, the number of regional services will increase the value of the regional airports, and the aware ness of the public will meet the opportunities provided. Passengers will increasingly recog nise the advantages of uncluttered facilities available at these airports." He says that regional airport development plans need to be ambitious if they are to succeed in capturing the potential market. As evidence of their willingness to expand, the owners of several regional airports throughout Europe have produced develop ment plans. These include the need to mature the airports structurally and expand them, to introduce equipment able to cope with an increase in air traffic, to handle rapid flow-through efficiently, and to promote an attitude within the community that regional airports can function as well as Heathrow. Frankfurt, or Charles de Gaulle. The 1992 European Community will have a major effect on regional airports through out it, with the ultimate abolition of duty-free facilities in "domestic" terminals, and new immigration, customs, and security arrange ments. Airport authorities are seeking a clear definition from their governments as to how immigration and customs will be handled at airports after 1992. It is likely that, at the least, regional airports will have to undertake minor structural work to cope with the immigration category changes in air travellers. But most European regional airport authorities believe they are preparing for liberalisation and the anticipated freedom of air movement. Many see the changes as the chance for the regional airports to prove they are equally efficient at handling large carriers. Many smaller airport managements believe that, until government authorities and airlines realise the need to support an upgrading of regional airports, air traffic will suffer, and so will passengers using unneces sarily crowded major hubs. Factors contributing to the development of regional airports by the end of the 1970s and early 1980s in Germany followed similar trends apparent in other European industri alised countries. According to German Airport Authority (ADV) director Gerd-Dieter Schmidt, Germany's regional airports began the tran sition from small airfields to regional airports when the country's industrial and commer cial regions began to spread. The demand for Los Angeles International is the world's busiest hub, but southern California needs greater capacity 28 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 14 January 1989
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