A Comparison on Competing Travel Modes

Regional Airports Feasibility In 2025 - A Comparison on Competing Travel Modes

Introduction

The global economy is recovering after the recession caused by the novel Covid-19 pandemic. International air travel came to a standstill after closing borders, leading to large losses and limited growth for international and regional airlines. However, global air travel is expected to grow (Gelhausen, Berster, and Wilken, 2021). However, the maturity of the demand dictates the growth. In regions like the United States, where there is a high likelihood to fly, the demand is mature; thus, the growth rates are expected to be low compared to other markets. However, changes in the strategic approach of air travel as a strategic instrument in the local economy have led to rapid or planning of more integrated transport systems that are not heavily reliant on air travel for connection between major transport hubs.

In line with the National Plan of Integrated Airport System (NPIAS) (2021), the development will subsequently focus on the core transport hubs leading to such airports while the traffic in regional airlines is expected to decline to be allocated lower capital investment. Consequently, to complement the regional air traffic, resources will be dedicated to the development of infrastructure and operational facilities of other modes of transport, such as rail, pipeline, and the road, to avoid latency in the flow of goods (Goyal, Reiche, Fernando and Cohen, 2021). However, the capacity building to accommodate growth in demand by 2025. The capital investments required for infrastructure expansion and capacity building will result in higher operating expenses that will be transferred partly to the customers.

Delaware Regional Airlines Competitiveness with Other Modes of Transport

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is responsible for the Philadelphia metropolitan area and is accountable to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). DVRPC is responsible for intercity and intercounty planning and vision of the growth of the Delaware region. The Delaware region includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery and the cities of Philadelphia and Burlington (DVRPC, 2001). The agency provides technical assistance and services, and research to determine demand changes and market trends. It also fosters cooperation among constitutes, facilitates operations of the private sector, and ensures public awareness.

The FAA collaborates with the NPIAS to identify core airports to identify public-use airports that are core to the transport hubs. Commercial service airports and general aviation airports meet the NPIAS and those identified by DVRPC. The NPIAS controls 65% of the public-use airports. Airport functions of NPIAS are to oversee operations and raise the capital required to maintain or develop the airports (NPIAS, 2020). Being enlisted under the NPIAS led are eligible for developmental funds from the AIP, PFCs, and reinvestment of airport profits. The DVRPC operates under the Regional Airport System Plan (RASP), which measures airport facilitates demand, airport facilities, and all necessary enhancements.

In 2020, the DVRPC revised the rasp for the Delaware region in response to the market, physical, and system policy changes at the regulatory levels and community integration levels. For example, there has been continued growth in urbanization and the concertation of a population in the suburbs (DVRPC, 2001). The demand increase has led to the growth of the market needs that have not been matched by the development capital allocated to increase the capacity of the existing airports. The incongruence between the demand for air travel and the capacity available has led to congestion and the need to adopt more efficient modes of transport to lower the congestion.

Substitute Modes of Transport

Different transport modes are designed to ferry freight or carry passengers, or both. The choice of the infrastructure to allocate resources is determined by the technical, commercial, and operational characteristics of the mode of transport and its efficacy in the region. Technical characteristics relate to speed, motive technology, and capacity (Sentance, 2014). The operational qualities include speed limits, safety conditions, and operating hours. However, the challenges facing airlines are beyond congestion and coverage since there is a need to consider environmental compatibility and safety.

Air Travel. The challenges encountered in airlines are multidimensional, such as weather conditions and infrastructure capability, which results in reliance on other means of transport to limit the inefficiency created by reliance on air travel. Competition in odes of transport is determined by the cost, frequency, accessibility, safety, comfort, and speed. These complementary or complete the air travel. As established, the covid-19 pandemic resulted in a significant decrease in air travel (Goyal, Reiche, Fernando, and Cohen, 2021). However, the NPIAS forecasts the resumption of the 2019 levels of air travel by 2025. The Delaware region is serviced by 25 airports accessible for public use and six private airports. Due to the extensive region these airports are required to serve, alternative modes of transport are critical to complement the demand for air travel.

Notably, since 1980, there has been a series of airport closures leading to more congestion in the existing airports. For example, Warminster Naval Air Development Center in Lower Bucks County closed, leading to a deficient in services for the 5000 operations here. The lack of capital investment to expand the local airports has resulted in selecting other modes of transport in this region for freight and passengers. Due to geographic proximity and the costs accrued to air transport, alternative modes include road and rail. The air travel demand is expected to increase by 30% (Gelhausen, Berster, and Wilken, 2021). However, the RASP plan involves six aircraft that still do not meet the demand. The capital investment in the airport expansion compared to the development of road, rail, or pipeline has a lower economic and operational benefit to the regional residents.

Rail and Pipeline Transport. The rail transport system has been revolutionized by integrating monorails and maglev. Rail transport is limited to low gradient requirements, particularly for freight. However, rail transport is critical for freight transportation, especially in heavy industries. With the congestion and limited access to airports, the accessibility to rails and connectivity to other means of transport make rail a suitable substitute for freight transit through air travel. Further, rail travel holds the highest capacity and is cheap on land mode (Goyal, Reiche, Fernando, and Cohen, 2021). Speed has been challenging with rail but bullet trains that are yet to be established in the Delaware region and the US at large; however, this technology will eventually be established, which makes the RASP objectives less focused on the development of regional airlines but leverage for the economic benefits accrued to the establishment of high-speed trains.

The railway network operates across Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Claymont in the Delaware region. Currently, the railway network is used for daily commenters across the county region and is subsidized by the government as part of the national connectivity initiative (NPIAS, 2020). Consequently, the development and maintenance of new and current railways to meet the demand for intercounty commute. Rail transport poses aggressive competition to the Delaware air transport system due to the high efficiency, large capacity, high frequency, and low operational costs.

The pipeline routes are unlimited since they can be laid down on land or underwater. Pipelines have been the most effective in eradicating oil transport trucks off the highways. However, pipeline transport in the Delaware region is effective for the transit of liquid freight and contributes to the economy, and is ideal for liquid freight due to high operational efficacy and low maintenance costs (Sentance, 2014). As established, there is a limitation in the goods that can be ferried through pipelines, such as the movement of people, which makes it less of a competitor to air transport.