The Paradox of Airport Capacity

In a comparatively short time, air transportation has established itself as by far the dominant mode of intercity travel by common carrier and it will continue to be in the foreseeable future. However, the ability to continue to provide the safest and most convenient method of intercity transportation is in jeopardy if airport facilities are not available in time to accommodate adequately the levels of traffic which the demands for air service generate. This paper, although recognizing the importance of all airport system components, assesses the airfield capacity problem of today and the future and describes various influences that affect the airport operator's attempts to improve capacity.