Developing Strategies for the Modern International Airport

Book excerpt: Developing Strategies for the Modern International Airport identifies and analyses the primary issues facing the modern international airport, and their role in a global economy. Based on the premise that the aviation industry has a primary and decisive role in the economic and social development of the modern international economy, this book examines the modern international airport and its process of integration into the larger global economy. As the integration of the aviation industry within the larger context of international business grows, there are an increasing number of important airport sites world wide, which are exhibiting the characteristics of what has been called by one authority an ’aerotropolis’, where major airports are integrated into the wider multi business dynamics of cities such as Shanghai or Beijing. Such pioneering developments are indicative of this region and bring with them a host of new issues and challenges for economic development. While international projections of the growth in demand for aviation services suggest that the key region for future expansion will be the ASEAN group of countries, there are marked differences between countries in their overall plans for viable economic development. As a result, the essential raising of funding required for international airport development must compete against other potential development projects all trying to attract the attention of national policy makers.