Locational Determinants of Major US Air Passenger Markets by Metropolitan Area

The paper examines the influence of metropolitan characteristics in determining the locations of major air traffic markets in the US. In general, the likelihood of a major air passenger market locating in any given metropolitan area is primarily determined by the metropolitan area's population size and overall propensity for air travel. The study shows that on average, a major air passenger market has over 3 million people while a minor market has a population base of about 760,000. The propensity of a population to fly is mainly a function of a number of social and economic indicators, the most important of which was found to be employment in professional–scientific–technical services and management activities.