全球智库信息集成服务系统

• Running an airport like a business is complicated by a patchwork system of federally authorized funding mechanisms that have accreted over the past 50 years. Investing in airport infrastructure is a more complex and time-consuming process than simply tallying up whether sufficient dollars are available.
• All commercial service airports face the same broad industry trends, such as growing demand for air travel and increasing plane sizes. However, some airports appear better positioned financially to manage future growth than others. The prospect of growth in demand is closely tied to local economic conditions, which can inject uncertainty into airports' financial plans.
• Airside infrastructure is in good repair. However, the growth in the number of enplanements has led to more-crowded terminals at some airports, and many aging control towers and other air traffic control facilities require rehabilitation and upgrading.
• Airports will need to make significant investments in the coming years to sustain existing capacity and services and to accommodate growth in enplanements and commercial operations. The larger commercial service airports are likely to find ways to make the investments they deem to be critical, but increased access to higher revenue streams in the near term would enable these airports to complete approved priority projects sooner and at lower borrowing costs.
• Smaller airports by definition have a smaller user base that offers fewer opportunities for raising revenue. These airports are therefore more reliant on federal grants than larger airports for paying the high fixed costs related to runways, taxiways, aprons, safety, and security.

Passenger air travel in the United States is at an all-time high and is expected to continue growing for most airports of all sizes. Commercial service airports, which are publicly owned airports that serve at least 2,500 passenger boardings (enplanements) per year and that receive scheduled passenger service, handle 99.9 percent of enplanements in the United States. These airports provide the physical infrastructure — runways, terminals, gates, and other facilities — used by commercial airlines, travelers, and other air service providers.

Section 122 of the 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act directed the FAA to contract with an independent research organization to address 21 questions related to infrastructure funding and financing at commercial service airports. To provide the context for addressing Congress's questions, the authors of this report provide a comprehensive review of the role of the federal government in airport infrastructure funding and financing. The authors also recommend a portfolio of changes in current federal policies related to airport infrastructure funding and highlight the need for further study of issues that may merit policy changes.

Consistent with Section 122, RAND conducted this work independently and submitted this report directly to Congress and the Secretary of Transportation in January 2020.

• Chapter One

  Introduction

• Chapter Two

  Historical Context and Trends in Air Travel

• Chapter Three

  The Business of Airports

• Chapter Four

  Status of and Trends in Airport Funding and Expenses

• Chapter Five

  Federal Role in Airport Infrastructure Funding: Airport Improvement Program

• Chapter Six

  Federal Role in Airport Infrastructure Funding: Passenger Facility Charge Program

• Chapter Seven

  Role of Bond Markets in Airport Infrastructure Funding

• Chapter Eight

  Assessing Future Demand and Capacity Constraints

• Chapter Nine

  Key Findings and Recommendations