Airport City
Encyclopedia
Airport city is a term for an "inside the fence" airport area including the airport (terminals, apron, and runways) and on-airport businesses such as air cargo, logistics, offices, retail, and hotels. The airport city is at the core of the aerotropolis
, a new urban form evolving around many major airports.
The airport city model recognises that an airport can do more than perform its traditional aeronautical services, evolving new non-aeronautical commercial facilities, services and revenue streams. Airports are now routinely targeting non-aeronautical revenue streams amounting to 40–60% of their total revenues. Industry leaders and researchers share best practices on non-aeronautical revenues for airports at conferences and in literature, including refereed literature.
With airports typically surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of hectares of undeveloped land that acts as an environmental buffer for nearby residents, it has been recognised that airports are sitting on a potential goldmine of real estate opportunities.
Office blocks, hotels, convention centres, medical facilities, free trade zones and even entertainment and theme parks can be built to generate new sources of revenue for the airport operator and make the airport a business or tourism destination in its own right.
The airport city concept consists of a number of logically combined elements that reinforce each other. Services and facilities are designed to guide travelers easily through the airport process. Access is key for passengers, cargo, businesses, and residents, many of whom work in the airport city.
Time
has named it as one of 10 ideas that will change the world.
The most common airside and landside airport city commercial activities include: duty free shops and airline lounges; restaurants, catering, and other food services; specialty retail and factory outlet centres; cultural and entertainment attractions; hotels; banks and currency exchanges; business offices and complexes; convention
and exhibition centres; leisure, recreation
and fitness
venues; logistics and distribution; perishables and cold storage
; and free trade zone
s and customs-free zones.
, where older airports are being redeveloped or expanded on large tracts of unused airport land. Many new airports in Asia are being planned as Airport Cities or Aerotropoli. North America, South America, and even Africa all boast airport city and aerotropolis developments.
While there is not yet a quantitative model or listing of Airport Cities, a qualitative list has been developed by researchers at the Center for Air Commerce at the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This list is updated frequently as new projects are announced and economic development related to airports accelerates. Sites are noted as being "operational" or "under development."
Criteria include:
The list is available at the Center for Air Commerce website (http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/KI/airCommerce/aerotropolis.cfm) and Aerotropolis.com.
• Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next
• Aerotropolis Business Concepts
• http://www.schipholgroup.com/B2B/SchipholRealEstate./AboutSchipholRealEstate.htm
• http://www.airportcitybelgrade.com/main.php?content=whatis&language=en
• http://www.duesseldorf-international.de/dus/airport_city/
• http://www.gateway-gardens.de/en/vision/airport_city.html
• Schiphol Group – AirportCity Concept, http://www.schiphol.nl/SchipholGroup/Company1/Strategy/AirportCityConcept.htm
Aerotropolis
An aerotropolis is an urban form whose layout, infrastructure, and economy is centered on an airport, offering its businesses speedy connectivity to suppliers, customers, and enterprise partners worldwide. Many of these businesses are much more dependent on distant suppliers or customers than to...
, a new urban form evolving around many major airports.
The airport city model recognises that an airport can do more than perform its traditional aeronautical services, evolving new non-aeronautical commercial facilities, services and revenue streams. Airports are now routinely targeting non-aeronautical revenue streams amounting to 40–60% of their total revenues. Industry leaders and researchers share best practices on non-aeronautical revenues for airports at conferences and in literature, including refereed literature.
With airports typically surrounded by hundreds or even thousands of hectares of undeveloped land that acts as an environmental buffer for nearby residents, it has been recognised that airports are sitting on a potential goldmine of real estate opportunities.
Office blocks, hotels, convention centres, medical facilities, free trade zones and even entertainment and theme parks can be built to generate new sources of revenue for the airport operator and make the airport a business or tourism destination in its own right.
The airport city concept consists of a number of logically combined elements that reinforce each other. Services and facilities are designed to guide travelers easily through the airport process. Access is key for passengers, cargo, businesses, and residents, many of whom work in the airport city.
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
has named it as one of 10 ideas that will change the world.
Airport city drivers
The chapter "The Way Forward" from Global Airport Cities describes the basic airport city drivers, which have evolved with different spatial forms predicated on available land and ground transportation infrastructure:- Airports need to create new non-aeronautical revenue sources, both to compete and to better serve their traditional aviation functions.
- The commercial sector's pursuit of affordable, accessible land.
- Increased gateway passengers and cargo traffic generated by airports.
- Airports serving as a catalyst and magnet for landside business development.
The most common airside and landside airport city commercial activities include: duty free shops and airline lounges; restaurants, catering, and other food services; specialty retail and factory outlet centres; cultural and entertainment attractions; hotels; banks and currency exchanges; business offices and complexes; convention
Convention
Convention may refer to:* Treaty, an agreement in international law* Convention , a large gathering of people who share a common interest** Political convention, a formal gathering of people for political purposes...
and exhibition centres; leisure, recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
and fitness
Fitness
Fitness may relate to:* Physical fitness, a general state of good health, usually as a result of exercise and nutrition * Cardiorespiratory fitness...
venues; logistics and distribution; perishables and cold storage
Cold storage
Cold storage may refer to:* A form of refrigerated storage* Cold Storage, a musician also known as Tim Wright * Cold Storage , a supermarket found in Singapore and Malaysia* COLD...
; and free trade zone
Free trade zone
A free trade zone or export processing zone , also called foreign-trade zone, formerly free port is an area within which goods may be landed, handled, manufactured or reconfigured, and reexported without the intervention of the customs authorities...
s and customs-free zones.
Some notable airport city activities
Airport Cities may be found in varying stages of development surrounding major airports worldwide, particularly in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, where older airports are being redeveloped or expanded on large tracts of unused airport land. Many new airports in Asia are being planned as Airport Cities or Aerotropoli. North America, South America, and even Africa all boast airport city and aerotropolis developments.
While there is not yet a quantitative model or listing of Airport Cities, a qualitative list has been developed by researchers at the Center for Air Commerce at the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This list is updated frequently as new projects are announced and economic development related to airports accelerates. Sites are noted as being "operational" or "under development."
Criteria include:
- Expert assessment by Dr. John D. KasardaJohn D. KasardaJohn D. Kasarda is an American academic focused on global management strategy, aviation and economic development. He is currently the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kasarda is...
and Dr. Stephen Appold based on their qualitative knowledge and quantitative research of the airport and surrounding aviation-linked business and industry clusters that correspond to the airport city and aerotropolis models. - Demonstrated commitment to the aerotropolis or airport city model as seen in the establishment of aerotropolis steering committees, strategic planning, and development initiatives.
- Government/regulatory support of the aerotropolis or airport city through aerotropolis legislation, tax incentives or other mechanisms.
- Media announcements by proponents with substantiated evidence that an aerotropolis or airport city initiative is moving forward.
The list is available at the Center for Air Commerce website (http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/KI/airCommerce/aerotropolis.cfm) and Aerotropolis.com.
External links
• Global Airport Cities• Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next
• Aerotropolis Business Concepts
• http://www.schipholgroup.com/B2B/SchipholRealEstate./AboutSchipholRealEstate.htm
• http://www.airportcitybelgrade.com/main.php?content=whatis&language=en
• http://www.duesseldorf-international.de/dus/airport_city/
• http://www.gateway-gardens.de/en/vision/airport_city.html
• Schiphol Group – AirportCity Concept, http://www.schiphol.nl/SchipholGroup/Company1/Strategy/AirportCityConcept.htm