Planning airports within regional multimodal transportation systems

Abstract : In this communication is proposed an appraisal tool for measuring the impacts of the installation of a new airport within a region already connected by a multimodal transportation network. This problem is crucial when choosing location for airports and then when planning the investments in terminals, connection links and fleets. One of the main difficulties of this task is related with the estimation of future demand over the modified transportation network which has direct influence on the evaluation of operational conditions, revenues and costs of the new airport. The proposed approach makes use of two different optimization models: One model is devoted to passenger and freight demand forecasting taking into account the modified accessibility of the multimodal transportation network, the other one defines the global transport supply according with a profit maximization behavior for the involved transport system. The demand forecasting process is based on an entropy maximization approach with distinct urban centers? economic activities generated or attracted constraints levels to determine the intensity and the distribution of origin-destination matrices by the kind of product and transport modality. The proposed solution scheme is composed of an iterative process between the current solution for demand forecasting and the supply optimization problem: the entropy maximizing distribution problem provides the origin-destination matrix given a cost/capacity structure, while the supply optimization problem provides this cost/capacity structure characterizing accessibility, given the origin-destination matrices. The proposed approach is illustrated with the case of the study of the insertion of a new airport of medium size in a rapid developing rural area.