Passenger Air Service Development Techniques

This guidebook should be of interest to airport managers and local government representatives interested in retaining existing and/or attracting new commercial air service in small communities. It provides information on the air service development (ASD) techniques, tools, and programs that smaller communities have used, including minimum revenue guarantees, guaranteed ticket purchases (i.e., travel banks), cost subsidies, marketing and advertising, and non-financial (i.e., in-kind) contributions, among others. The guidebook is organized into two major sections. The first section discusses the context for ASD, particularly the financial condition of the U.S. aviation industry and the basic underlying competitive challenges that small communities face in retaining or enhancing their commercial air service. The second section discusses how communities can address those challenges, and describes the basic components and tools of an ASD program. The guidebook is intended to help small communities develop and execute an ASD program.