IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecotra/v38y2024ics2212012224000121.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of Airport business practices and governance forms on excess capacity

Author

Listed:
  • Karanki, Fecri
  • Bilotkach, Volodymyr

Abstract

Excess capacity poses a persistent challenge for airports as they often encounter lumpy capacity problems. The excess capacity is primarily influenced by factors such as uncertain demand, airline competition, airport pricing strategies, and the market structure of the airport industry. However, airport business practices also account for this issue. Using data from 59 U.S. airports between 2009 and 2019, we found that residual airports have less unused capacity than compensatory airports. This can be explained by the control of signatory airlines over the residual airports’ investment decisions and the lack of retained earnings under the residual agreement. We did not detect a significant difference in excess capacity between single-purpose and multipurpose governance forms. However, it is noteworthy that large hub airports exhibit higher capacity utilization compared to medium hub airports. Airports dominated by LCCs have higher capacity utilization rates, while the unused capacity remains consistent between cargo and non-cargo airports.

Suggested Citation

  • Karanki, Fecri & Bilotkach, Volodymyr, 2024. "The impact of Airport business practices and governance forms on excess capacity," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecotra:v:38:y:2024:i:c:s2212012224000121
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecotra.2024.100353
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212012224000121
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ecotra.2024.100353?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Coelli, Tim & Grifell-Tatje, Emili & Perelman, Sergio, 2002. "Capacity utilisation and profitability: A decomposition of short-run profit efficiency," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 261-278, October.
    2. Gillen, David & Lall, Ashish, 1997. "Developing measures of airport productivity and performance: an application of data envelopment analysis," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 261-273, December.
    3. Volodymyr Bilotkach & Joseph Clougherty & Juergen Mueller & Anming Zhang, 2012. "Regulation, privatization, and airport charges: panel data evidence from European airports," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 73-94, August.
    4. Patrick McCarthy, 2014. "US Airport Costs and Production Technology A Translog Cost Function Analysis," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 48(3), pages 427-447, September.
    5. Wenders, John T, 1971. "Excess Capacity as a Barrier to Entry," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(1), pages 14-19, November.
    6. Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yimin, 2001. "Airport charges and cost recovery: the long-run view," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 75-78.
    7. Xiao, Yibin & Fu, Xiaowen & Zhang, Anming, 2013. "Demand uncertainty and airport capacity choice," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 91-104.
    8. Tae Hoon Oum & Anming Zhang & Yimin Zhang, 2004. "Alternative Forms of Economic Regulation and their Efficiency Implications for Airports," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 38(2), pages 217-246, May.
    9. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    10. Steven G. Craig & James Airola & Manzur Tipu, 2012. "General Purpose or Special District Governance? Technical Efficiency versus Rent Dissipation in Airport Finances," Public Finance Review, , vol. 40(6), pages 712-735, November.
    11. Xiao, Yibin & Fu, Xiaowen & Zhang, Anming, 2016. "Airport capacity choice under airport-airline vertical arrangements," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 298-309.
    12. Berndt, Ernst R & Morrison, Catherine J, 1981. "Capacity Utilization Measures: Underlying Economic Theory and an Alternative Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(2), pages 48-52, May.
    13. Oum, Tae H. & Yan, Jia & Yu, Chunyan, 2008. "Ownership forms matter for airport efficiency: A stochastic frontier investigation of worldwide airports," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 422-435, September.
    14. Hu, Rong & Feng, Huilin & Witlox, Frank & Zhang, Junfeng & Connor, Kevin O., 2022. "Airport capacity constraints and air traffic demand in China," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    15. Xiaowen Fu & Hangjun Yang, 2017. "Airport–Airline Arrangements: An Interpretive Review of Industry Practices and Recent Studies," Advances in Airline Economics, in: The Economics of Airport Operations, volume 6, pages 97-122, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    16. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2007. "Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 31-64, January.
    17. Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yimin, 2006. "Airport capacity and congestion when carriers have market power," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(2), pages 229-247, September.
    18. Nelson, Randy A, 1989. "On the Measurement of Capacity Utilization," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(3), pages 273-286, March.
    19. Zhao, Qi & Choo, Yap Y. & Oum, Tae H., 2014. "The Effect of Governance Forms on North American Airport Efficiency: A Comparative Analysis of Airport Authority vs. Government Branch," Journal of the Transportation Research Forum, Transportation Research Forum, vol. 53(2).
    20. Fare, Rolf & Grosskopf, Shawna & Kokkelenberg, Edward C, 1989. "Measuring Plant Capacity, Utilization and Technical Change: A Nonparametric Approach," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 30(3), pages 655-666, August.
    21. Choo, Yap Yin & Oum, Tae Hoon, 2013. "Impacts of low cost carrier services on efficiency of the major U.S. airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 60-67.
    22. Karanki, Fecri & Lim, Siew Hoon, 2020. "The effects of use agreements on airport efficiency," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    23. Hihara, Katsuya, 2012. "An analysis of an airport–airline relationship under a risk sharing contract," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 978-992.
    24. Martin Dresner & Robert Windle & Yuliang Yao, 2002. "Airport Barriers to Entry in the US," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 36(3), pages 389-405, September.
    25. Gelhausen, Marc C. & Berster, Peter & Wilken, Dieter, 2013. "Do airport capacity constraints have a serious impact on the future development of air traffic?," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 3-13.
    26. Evans, Antony & Schäfer, Andreas, 2011. "The impact of airport capacity constraints on future growth in the US air transportation system," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 288-295.
    27. Karanki, Fecri & Lim, Siew Hoon, 2021. "Airport use agreements and cost efficiency of U.S. airports," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 68-77.
    28. Martín, Juan Carlos & Voltes-Dorta, Augusto, 2011. "The dilemma between capacity expansions and multi-airport systems: Empirical evidence from the industry's cost function," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 382-389, May.
    29. Vasigh, Bijan & Hamzaee, Reza G, 1998. "A comparative analysis of economic performance of US commercial airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 209-216.
    30. R. D. Banker & A. Charnes & W. W. Cooper, 1984. "Some Models for Estimating Technical and Scale Inefficiencies in Data Envelopment Analysis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(9), pages 1078-1092, September.
    31. Fu, Xiaowen & Homsombat, Winai & Oum, Tae H., 2011. "Airport–airline vertical relationships, their effects and regulatory policy implications," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 347-353.
    32. Federico Ciliberto & Jonathan W. Williams, 2010. "Limited Access to Airport Facilities and Market Power in the Airline Industry," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(3), pages 467-495.
    33. Kutlu, Levent & McCarthy, Patrick, 2016. "US airport ownership, efficiency, and heterogeneity," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 117-132.
    34. Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yimin, 2001. "Airport charges, economic growth, and cost recovery," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 25-33, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Karanki, Fecri & Lim, Siew Hoon, 2020. "The effects of use agreements on airport efficiency," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    2. Karanki, Fecri & Bilotkach, Volodymyr, 2023. "Capacity Utilization of U.S. Airports: A Data Envelopment Analysis," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Karanki, Fecri & Lim, Siew Hoon, 2021. "Airport use agreements and cost efficiency of U.S. airports," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 68-77.
    4. Karanki, Fecri, 2024. "Cross-subsidization and U.S. airports," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 150-160.
    5. Lim, Siew Hoon & Karanki, Fecri, 2020. "Airport use agreement types and input and output slacks: The case of U.S. airports," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    6. Dixit, Aasheesh & Jakhar, Suresh Kumar, 2021. "Airport capacity management: A review and bibliometric analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    7. Xiao, Yibin & Fu, Xiaowen & Zhang, Anming, 2016. "Airport capacity choice under airport-airline vertical arrangements," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 298-309.
    8. Adler, Nicole & Liebert, Vanessa, 2014. "Joint impact of competition, ownership form and economic regulation on airport performance and pricing," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 92-109.
    9. Gurtner, Gérald & Cook, Andrew & Graham, Anne & Cristóbal, Samuel, 2018. "The economic value of additional airport departure capacity," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 1-14.
    10. Balliauw, Matteo & Onghena, Evy, 2020. "Expanding airport capacity of cities under uncertainty: Strategies to mitigate congestion," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Ha, Hun-Koo & Wan, Yulai & Yoshida, Yuichiro & Zhang, Anming, 2013. "Airline market structure and airport efficiency: Evidence from major Northeast Asian airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 32-42.
    12. Chaouk, Mohammed & Pagliari, Dr Romano & Moxon, Richard, 2020. "The impact of national macro-environment exogenous variables on airport efficiency," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    13. Zou, Bo & Kafle, Nabin & Chang, Young-Tae & Park, Kevin, 2015. "US airport financial reform and its implications for airport efficiency: An exploratory investigation," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 66-78.
    14. Bruno De Borger & Kristiaan Kerstens & Diego Prior & Ignace Van de Woestyne, 2013. "Static efficiency decompositions and capacity utilization: integrating economic and technical capacity notions," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(24), pages 3529-3529, August.
    15. Lindebo, Erik & Hoff, Ayoe & Vestergaard, Niels, 2007. "Revenue-based capacity utilisation measures and decomposition: The case of Danish North Sea trawlers," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 180(1), pages 215-227, July.
    16. Yu, Ming-Miin & Chen, Li-Hsueh & Chiang, Hui, 2017. "The effects of alliances and size on airlines’ dynamic operational performance," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 197-214.
    17. lo Storto, Corrado, 2018. "Ownership structure and the technical, cost, and revenue efficiency of Italian airports," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 175-193.
    18. Güner, Samet & Cebeci, Halil İbrahim, 2021. "Output targeting and capacity utilization for a new-built airport: Analysis for the new airport in Istanbul," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    19. Kan Tsui, Wai Hong & Balli, Hatice Ozer & Gilbey, Andrew & Gow, Hamish, 2014. "Operational efficiency of Asia–Pacific airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 16-24.
    20. Fernández, Xose Luis & Gundelfinger, Javier & Coto-Millán, Pablo, 2022. "The impact of logistics and intermodality on airport efficiency," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 233-239.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ecotra:v:38:y:2024:i:c:s2212012224000121. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ecotra .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.