Examining airport agility at air cargo hub airports

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted nearly every aspect of airport operations, highlighting the importance of airport agility. Due to its importance, it is crutial for us to understand the role of agility at airports prior to and during unexpected disruptions. We investigated airport agility for air cargo hub airports using a structural equation model, particularly at Incheon International Airport (ICN). This study uses 27 variables to evaluate the agility of the air cargo business for a hub airport. We find that digital transformation, flight services, information sharing, and accessibility enhance the agility of air cargo hub airports. The survey shows that air cargo experts perceive ICN airport as having satisfactory agile response capabilities. Agility is essential to resilience, which will deliver a competitive advantage and aid the long-term prosperity of the air cargo business. Airports must collaborate to share, align, and improve their collective resilience to improve the productivity and performance of air cargo hubs. Developing innovative airport models enabled by new technologies, such as digital transformation, increases the efficiency and agility of the airport. The ICN's strategy as an air cargo hub airport is responsive to customer needs to mitigate disruptions through digitalization, offering value-added services with adaptability. The application of digitalization improves the airport's agility and efficiency and mitigates uncertainty in the air cargo industry.