A long drive: Interregional airport passenger “leakage” in the U.S

Airport passenger leakage is the phenomenon of air travelers foregoing their local airport to access large hub airports with better flight options and airfares. Interregional passenger leakage has not received extensive attention from the research community; this review was conducted in light of changes in the U.S. aviation system over the last 15 years. We examine the U.S. airport passenger leakage literature, focusing specifically on leakage from small and medium airports to large airports by personal vehicle. We emphasize the need for on-going data collection, to support advanced methodological applications and development. This allows for empirically-based definitions of airport catchment in an interregional context, and support airport planning and marketing activities. We also observe a need for more attention to integrated multimodal, interregional planning – specifically, understanding the air and ground connectivity of the interregional transportation system, particularly in the U.S. where public transport provision is largely absent interregionally.