Author: Simon Matthieu Mosbah

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 646

ISBN-13:

U.S. commercial airports serve as gateways for cities competing globally. Local policy-makers can enhance air service in two ways: by providing financial support to airlines adding destinations, or expanding airport runway capacity to trigger a supply shock. This dissertation investigates the political economy and planning of airport expansions by addressing the following questions: To what extent does expanding airport capacity contribute to the impacts of air service on employment growth at metro area level? To what extent does airport-related employment growth and development occur in areas closer to the airport, and through which mechanisms in terms of airport expansions and planning initiatives? How do decision-makers of airport expansions perceive the impacts of the airport in the regional economy, and integrate this conceptualization in their decisions? The study uses quantitative and qualitative methods. A landscape study of airport expansions leads to statistical analyses of the association between air service, economic growth and airport expansions, and the selection of case studies. A study of airport zones leads to a typology and statistical models describing the role of air traffic in supporting airport zone employment growth. Finally, three case studies are conducted to study how airport expansions are decided and how their impacts are assessed. The positive association between air traffic and economic growth does not appear to be mediated, on average, by airport expansions. Airport zone employment does not appear to grow faster than in the rest of the metro areas. The concentration of airport-related sectors, transportation, warehousing and car rental, decreases on average between 2002 and 2011, which suggests a diversification of airport zones toward non airport-activity sectors. However, the professional services sectors remain under-represented in the airport zone. Statistical models suggest that passenger traffic and airport location influence airport zone employment. The case studies suggest that the metrics the “airport growth coalition” uses to measure the success of their airport and their air service development strategy are narrower than employment growth. These findings suggest avenues for additional research on the role of air traffic in metropolitan economies and the evolution of airport zones in the U.S.