BBSG developed an expert opinion for Polish Regional Airports Association on the need of a regional carrier operating from regional airports in Poland.
Scope of our work
Polish Regional Airports Association aimed at increasing traffic at regional airports and looked for a solution enhancing network at these airports to European destinations and on domestic routes. The Association developed a set of theses which indicated a need for such connections to be offered by a regional carrier.
BBSG analysed and revised theses set by the Association and developed recommendations.
Our approach
In the first step we verified all of the theses:
Thesis no. 1: There is an unmet demand for domestic and international connections from regional airports, including connections to hubs
A potential demand for connections within Europe was determined with simulation methods taking into account competitive airports, using x-via web software. For domestic traffic we conducted in-depth analysis of data on domestic traffic.
Thesis no. 2: The unmet demand will continue to grow
In order to verify the validity of this thesis we studied opportunities for growth in demand at regional airports. We took into account historical data, changes in determinants of air transport and related changes in air traffic potential.
Thesis no. 3: The unmet demand may be satisfied by a regional carrier serving domestic routes and connections to transfer airports.
In order to verify the validity of this thesis, we checked what would be the most efficient way to meet the identified demand and if a regional carrier could answer this demand, taking into account its operational constraints.
In the next step, we determined:
- optimal distribution of traffic between the regional and national carriers;
- implications for airports and regions from implementing the concept of handling domestic traffic and traffic to hubs by the regional carrier;
- preconditions and risks for implementation of this concept.
Value and benefits
BBSG developed an expert opinion, which positively verified the legitimacy of the theses presented by the Polish Regional Airports Association and contained conclusions and recommendations for optimum solutions. This opinion was further used by the Polish Regional Airports Association:
- in further work and consultations within the Association;
- in discussions with potential carriers;
- in discussions with institutions dealing with air transport in Poland, such as the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of the State Treasury and the Civil Aviation Office.
Important finding
Diversification of network at regional airports is clearly beneficial – increasing availability of intercontinental flights and increasing the selection of transit connections in Europe will not only increase the number of passengers, but also significantly improve regional accessibility.