The Rise of Airport Marketing for the Aviation – Related Business

The new enriched value – based packages of Airport enterprise since 1990s:

i)                   Co-marketing and co-branding partnerships between airports and airline operators or other value chain players

ii)                Road shows at Carriers’  headquarters to illustrate both technical facilities and market research studies on the Airport’s catchment area

iii)              Presence at Industry fairs. Like Routes or Networks, or events concerning the whole tourism industry, like the World Travel Market in London;

iv)              Marketing support system plans (MSSP), and the cut in monetary incentives associated with the opening of new air connections;

v)                Aggressive handling charges, no longer based on the ‘cost per ton’ system, but restructured by categories of aircraft with similar flight performance.

The main factors influencing the choice of Airport by an Airline operator;

·        Width, density and potential market growth of the catchment area;

·        Slot availability

·        Presence or absence of direct competitors;

·        Network and operational consistency;

·        Airport charges (landing and handling fees plus fuel prices);

·        Minimum guaranteed turnaround times;

·        Presence of economic and commercial incentive at start –up of operations;

·        Width and availability of airport infrastructural facilities;

·        Availability of a range of intermodal solutions for accessing and leaving the airport;

·        Absence of environmental restrictions (fundamental in the case of overnight cargo services);

·        Availability of maintenance centers at the airport

·        24 hrs. nonstop opening times (again, critical in the case of cargo)

·        Presence of upgrade projects for terminal expansion;

Low historical rate of accidents on apron caused by handling operations