Brazilian Airports Research Articles

Small airport business governance and regional development.

Purpose: Small airports business have strategic relevance for national integration and the regional development of a country. Therefore, this study considers the main variables and governance form that make small airports competitive. Method/approach: Twenty-five small Brazilian airports are evaluated as the study objects using different analytical methods, as DEA and EATWOS. Main findings: The results provide inputs for the regressions, which relate the organizational characteristics and classify them by their significance. Finally, GDP per capita, population, the closest distance to the airport in relation to the municipality served, delayed flights, and attraction index for airports are significant characteristics that can contribute to regional and national development. Theoretical, practical/social contributions: The main contributions of the study are associated with the efficiency analyses of small airports from different methods and forms of governance of these businesses considered as references. Originality/relevance: The study is relevant for considering both the literature and the practical aspects related to the governance of small airports, given their significant role in air transportation and regional development.

Evaluating Cumulative Damage Factor (CDF) of 20 Brazilian Airfield Pavement structures using FAARFIELD and BAKFAA

There is a growing concern regarding the structural integrity of Brazilian airport pavements. This concern arises from the fact that they were originally designed to accommodate lighter aircraft during an era of lower traffic. However, with the substantial increase in air traffic and the introduction of heavier aircraft, compounded by the aging infrastructure predominantly built between the 1950s and 1970s, these pavements are now confronted with significant challenges. This research involves collecting data on aircraft characteristics, traffic patterns, and pavement layer properties to update information on the pavement life service of existing Brazilian airfield pavements. Research involves the analysis of determine the Cumulative Damage Factor (CDF) of 20 Brazilian airport runways pavement. Backanalysis of deflection basins obtained from Heavy Weight Deflectometer (HWD) tests is conducted using the BAKFAA software. The FAARFIELD software is then employed to calculate the CDF, incorporating the latest information on aircraft mix and pavement conditions. The study reveals that 65% of the analyzed airport pavements consist of 4 structural layers, with 50% of the structures composed of cement-treated base course layers. Notably, 11 airports exhibit a CDF less than 0.01, suggesting potential overdesigned of pavements for existing aircraft movement. Boa Vista Airport/RR (SBBV) stands out with a CDF of 1.5, prompting recommendations for actions to mitigate pavement degradation. The findings offer valuable insights for future actions, maintenance strategies, and recommendations for the construction of new airports.

Aeronautical Infrastructure Optimization to Enhance the Strategic and Operational Business Performance of Small Airports

Airport business management literature commonly evaluates the performance of these organizations based on the number of passengers and cargo processed, aircraft movements, number of runways, number of employees, and passengers’ terminal dimension, among other factors concerning commercial aviation, commonly applied to large structures, with gaps being identified in the literature of small airports. The identification and analysis of the main factors that interfere with the performance of airport business, and the strategic and operational management of small public airports have been analyzed from 24 small Brazilian airports. The study employed the Data Envelopment Analysis method based on the Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes model, as well as the Banker, Charnes, and Cooper model, adapted for Visual Basic Analysis. The main results demonstrate that infrastructural characteristics, such as runway width, pavement classification number, runway length, buldings' age, maximum take-off weight of the critical aircraft, passenger terminal size, and air cargo and passengers processed, show significant relevance to the operational performance of small airports. The main theoretical implications of the study are the definition of strategic and operational parameters that impact the performance of small airports, which can be used as a reference by air transport decision-makers.

Exergy-Based Improvements of Sustainable Aviation Fuels: Comparing Biorefinery Pathways

The aeronautical sector faces challenges in meeting its net-zero ambition by 2050. To achieve this target, much effort has been devoted to exploring sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Accordingly, we evaluated the technical performance of potential SAF production in an integrated first- and second-generation sugarcane biorefinery focusing on Brazil. The CO2 equivalent and the renewability exergy indexes were used to assess environmental performance and impact throughout the supply chain. In addition, exergy efficiency (ηB) and average unitary exergy costs (AUEC) were used as complementary metrics to carry out a multi-criteria approach to determine the overall performance of the biorefinery pathways. The production capacity assumed for this analysis covers 10% of the fuel demand in 2020 at the international Brazilian airports of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, leading to a base capacity of 210 kt jet fuel/y. The process design includes sugarcane bagasse and straw as the feedstock of the biochemical processes, including diverse pre-treatment methods to convert lignocellulosic resources to biojet fuel, and lignin upgrade alternatives (cogeneration, fast pyrolysis, and gasification Fischer-Tropsch). The environmental analysis for all scenarios shows a GHG reduction potential due to a decrease of up to 30% in the CO2 equivalent exergy base emissions compared to fossil-based jet fuel.

Navigating multi-airport systems: A case study of brazilian airport concessions and the multi-airport system of rio de janeiro

The public hearing on the seventh round of Brazilian airport concessions gave rise to debates on the multi-airport system and its coordinated modelling. Considering that the airport sector is an important source of both passenger and cargo traffic in a country the size of a continent such as Brazil, this article reviews the evolution of Brazilian airport concessions and outlines their perspectives and opportunities in Brazilian multi-airport systems, particularly the Rio de Janeiro multi-airport system.

Analysis of layout flexibility on the efficiency of airport passenger terminals

The usage of concepts that add flexibility to built spaces by generating the capacity to adapt to new demands is an economically viable and operationally attractive alternative to deal with demand fluctuation. This study aims to analyze the influence of those concepts on the Airport Passenger Terminal's layout by evaluating the performance of the 13 busiest Brazilian airports' check-in areas. It carries out a comparative assessment to establish the main flexibility parameters within the Airport Passenger Terminals. Moreover, it identifies the most efficient characteristics used in the built spaces at the airports. For that, this examination applies the DEA-BCC model oriented to input, analyzing as input data the relation between the check-in area and the total area of the Airport Passenger Terminal building, the number of check-in counters and the waiting time at the queue, and output data the installed capacity of the airports. The results indicate that change in the percentage of check-in area used is the criteria that best reflects the efficiency of an Airport Passenger Terminal.

Birds living near airports do not show consistently higher levels of feather corticosterone.

Noise represents a threat to human and wildlife health, triggering physiological and behavioral challenges to individuals living close to sources of extreme noise. Here, we considered airport environments as sources of potentially stressful stimuli for birds and tested if those living near airports are under higher physiological stress than birds living in quiet sites. We used measurements of CORT in feathers (CORTf) as a proxy of chronic stress. We evaluated 14 passerine and 1 non-passerine species, living near three Brazilian airports. We found that, across species, individuals with a better body condition had lower CORTf concentration. At the species level, we found that CORTf concentration was not consistently affected by airport noise. Comparing individuals living in quiet sites with those living near airports, we found that 2 species had higher and 2 had lower CORTf concentrations near airports, while 11 species presented no significant differences between sites. At the population level, model selection indicated that the direction and strength of these differences are weakly related to species' song frequency (peak frequency), as lower-frequency singers tended to present higher CORTf levels at airport-affected sites. In summary, we were unable to find a consistent response among species, probably due to species-specific differences in their response to anthropogenic disturbances. Instead, we found that species might be affected differently according to their singing spectral frequency and that individuals in good body condition show lower CORTf, suggesting that this measure is consistent with lower physiological stress.

Risk management of human factors in airports screening process

Screening process at airports is considered as a critical element for airport security. The screening checkpoints are a component of the airport infrastructure that constitutes a contribution to the security of nations. Regarding the human factor in screening checkpoints, there is an opportunity to consider their specificities within the scope of risk management. This study aimed to develop a consistent tool (risk matrix) which serves as a guide for airports to assess and map human factors in the screening checkpoints. The research method involved four phases, namely: Phase 1: Criterion-conceptual design of the Risk Matrix Modeling; Phase 2: Instrument Construction; Phase 3: Instrument validation; and Phase 4: Practical application of the instrument in a real airport operational context. The risk matrix structure comprises four methodological steps (context, risks, assessment and response) and presents criteria that were not used for this purpose, such as residual risks analysis and financial impact dosimetry linked to administrative measures arising from quality control actions. The tool consists of eleven correlated spreadsheets and is a useful model for mapping human factors (HF-AVSEC) under the security scope. The main results from this study are: (i) the elaboration of a conceptual model for the human factors risk matrix in AVSEC; (ii) the establishment of criteria for the human factors risk matrix; (iii) the development of a practical instrument modeling for AVSEC human factor management (HFM-AVSEC); (iv) validation of the risk matrix criteria by an expert panel working in Class AP-3 and Class AP-2 airports; (v) the application of the matrix in two Brazilian airports (Class AP-2 and Class AP-3), constituting a pioneering, practical and effective contribution to the AVSEC in terms of risk management at airports. The proposed matrix can be replicated by organizations in the aviation industry and by other entities structured as complex and socio-technical systems.

The effect of arrival time of travelers at the airport on consumption in commercial establishments

In the last decade, several Brazilian airports were privatized, bringing initial investments to airport infrastructure, including improvements in commercial facilities. This research analyzes the commercial activities of the São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport regarding the airport layout, number of stores and opening hours, and scheduled flights. In addition, this research addresses as a main study a survey carried out with travelers to verify consumer behavior in the restaurant and/or shopping segments in relation to the traveler's arrival time at the airport through a multinomial logistic regression model. The results show that as for the concentration of stores at the airport, there are more stores in Passenger Terminal 2 in the public area for the dining segment, while in Passenger Terminal 3 most stores correspond to the restricted area in the shopping segment. The main contribution to the literature was the finding that travelers who arrive around 9 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. are more likely to consume higher amounts than other groups throughout the day.

A Regional View of Passenger Air Link Evolution in Brazil

Passenger flows among cities, at both the domestic and international levels and in different countries and regions, have been studied for forecasting purposes. This paper seeks not a forecasting mechanism, but to understand, by analyzing passenger origins and destinations by Brazilian sub-region, how Brazil’s domestic air passenger network links have evolved. Using income, population, and fare price as inputs, and seats sold as output, air link performance is examined by data envelopment analysis to discuss the regional link of domestic passenger traffic in Brazil and its dynamics, considering two specific years. The findings indicate that, although the highest passenger flow density is concentrated in Brazil’s Southeast region, performance by emerging origins and destinations (O-Ds), such as those connecting the Northeast, display more substantial strength indices and advances (Malmquist analysis). The analysis of specific links was also important, which showed that important Brazilian airports are not necessarily more competent in generating trips. The Catch-Up indicator for innovation reveals the weak point in Brazil’s air transport network. Although some airports enjoy strong networkability, they do not correspond in passenger origin or destination strength.

An evaluation of non-aviation revenues based on passenger satisfaction and quantity of commercial establishments at terminals: A case study of a Brazilian airport

This paper provides an approach to evaluate the influence of airport manager practices and passenger satisfaction at the terminal on non-aviation revenues. We used a quarterly dataset from 2013 to 2019 and robust passenger research provided by the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Secretary with more than 170,000 passengers interviewed at the Guarulhos International Airport. We estimated a multiple linear regression model to explain the non-aviation revenues generation given the dataset. The results strongly demonstrate that the actions provided by the airport management body, such as opening a new passenger terminal in 2014, had a significant positive impact on non-aviation revenues. The new terminal operation generates an average quarterly growth of 56.57 million R$ in non-aviation revenues. The mathematical model also indicates that the passenger satisfaction level with the quantity and quality of commercial establishments does not imply any significant impact on nonaviation revenues. In contrast, a higher satisfaction level with the products price at the commercial establishments has a negative impact on non-aviation revenues.

Intelligence and Airport Security: A SWOT Analysis of the Brazilian Scenario

The Brazilian airport infrastructure arises under the government management, through a public company created especially for it: the Brazilian Airports Infrastructure Company (Infraero). This management model thrived until the early 2000s, when the concessions of Brazilian airports to the private sector started. Since the Brazilian Intelligence System (SISBIN) was created in 1999, Infraero has been under a federal government’s cabinet with a seat at the system. After the concessions’ processes started, though, some of the main airports in the country are not under SISBIN’s formal umbrella anymore. This paper uses a SWOT matrix to analyze the scenario that comes out after of the migration of the airport management to the private sector under the Intelligence activity’s scope.

THE TERRITORIAL PROGRAM AS A FACTOR FOR THE FEASIBILITY OF AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURES: METHODOLOGY FOR IDENTIFICATE OPPORTUNITIES

Concessions or public investments with delegated management were the models adopted until then to make possible investments and operations in the Brazilian airports. But regional airports usually present higher costs than direct revenues, which leads to the need to evaluate new models of delegation and partnerships, taking advantage of the direct effects and the potential growth of the region induced by air transport. The territorial engineering is based on the modernization of productive structures, innovations, R&D and training to compose territorial programs beyond the investment and management of transport infrastructures, generating sustainable growth. This paper presents a methodology to identify cases in which this instrument can be used. The results of the 164 planned airports in the Brazilian National Aviation Plan 2018-2038 made it possible to identify 14 regions that, at first, would need external subsidies, but which proved to be viable and fiscally sustainable when the enterprise is evaluated associated with the main value chain: tourism.

AIRPORT ALoSP AND INTEGRATED RISK APPROACH FOR SSPs

This work proposed the development of a methodology for risk management in airports for ICAO’s State Safety Programmes (SSP). To do so we investigated the nature of the airport safety events occurred in busiest Brazilian airports and proposed a risk index capable to provide the Acceptable Level of Safety Performance (ALoSP) ICAO demands to their signatory States. The approach allowed us to rank airports per their risk in relation to the ALoSP calculated and proposed State optimized regulatory actions to where the risk is. Research found the high concentration on risk recurrence among 31 airports. Only 4 concentrated 30% of all the recurrence of risk, 8 were responsible for 50% and 17 represented approximately 80% of the total risk load in Brazilian airport operations. Five groups of airports are proposed as per their safety performance (Safety+2, Safety+1, Neutral, Safety-1 and Safety-2). Their measured performance showed statistically significant differences. Safety+1 group presented a safety performance 1.49 times better than ALoSP and 3.52 times better than worst group of airports (Safety-2). The Safety+2 group is 3.76 times safer than ALoSP and 8.88 times safer than Safety-2 group. Safety-1 group presented a risk level 1.51 times higher than ALoSP and Safety-2 performed 2.35 times riskier than the ALoSP. This matrix way of problem solving brings more effectiveness and rationality to the SSP’s, amplifying their effectiveness.

Expert’s Heuristic Biases in Airport Predictive Risk Assessments

Expert perceptions have been increasingly used to perform risk assessments in airport predictive risk assessments in recent years. Although it is known that biases are less influential in groups of experts when compared to laypeople, they still can be residually present in such tasks with this specific group. Therefore, this article aims to propose (1) the pragmatic organization of knowledge about the biases that may affect airport risk assessments by groups of experts and (2) which of them most often arise in this type of analysis and at what intensity. For the development of the work, we carried out a dense bibliographic review of the theme. Later, we performed a predictive risk assessment and a survey, with the support of an experienced group of 30 experts from Brazilian regulatory agency and airport operators. After 1224 risk judgments, experts were able to clearly indicate regulations and their sections that are disproportionately more and less important in terms of risk, leading States to a better regulatory quality only by changing their logic of actions to a risk-based approach. Later the group answered a survey on a list of 12 heuristic biases created from the bibliographic review. Results showed that, in fact experts have a resistance to biases influence, mainly based in their academic and professional background, but also showed this influence is not exactly negligible. It was also possible to rank the heuristic biases in terms of importance and indicate that experts tend to concern with three hierarchical information characteristics when judging risk: at first, would be the form in which risk problems are presented; second, how they interpret information presented; and third, the amount of information presented.

Comparative evaluation of the Brazilian air transport system centrality

This work seeks to analyze the centrality of the Brazilian airport commercial system and compare flights data of 2015 and 2019. This paper is an extension and updated study from article presented at VII RIDITA (Pereira et al., 2019). We evaluated the Brazilian airport system by the results of layer centrality and h-centrality. These methodologies of centrality, unlike other traditional methods in graphs theory, try to evaluate the comprehensiveness of each vertex (in the case of the airport) and the influence on the others in the network. The results show the main characteristic of the Brazilian airport system regarding the concentration of the operation in regions and airports. Central airports demand greater attention from the agents in several operational fields (maintenance, traffic control, mobility, etc.) to raise the quality of the system.

Does privatization make Brazilian airports more efficient?

Airport concessions to private management began in Brazil in 2011 to address infrastructure bottlenecks and the need for investments. Productivity improvements after privatization need to be measured and efficiency gains can help to identify strategic points where to intervene both in current and upcoming concessions. However, previous studies have applied neither the Slacks-Based Measure Data Analysis Envelopment models nor the second stage Tobit regression to evaluate airport efficiency, especially in the context of Brazilian airport privatization. The objective of this study is to verify if privatization contributes to improving Brazilian airports' productive efficiency compared with public airports, using variable slacks and identifying new socio-economic variables that may influence the productive efficiency index. A two-stage SBM-DEA approach found that only 40% of the sample among 28 airports are efficient, evidencing poor management overall, and the slacks show the sectors that need most attention and investments. Based on the productive process and the sample evaluated, the study concludes that privatization of Brazilian airports did not improve their production efficiency. A revision of the contracts in the first round of concessions is suggested, as contractual obligation may result in lower production efficiency.

Applying airport centrality as an operational continuity indicator

The research aims to propose a methodology to estimate the reliability of the Brazilian airport network (domestic passenger traffic), based on the centrality of airports (Network Theory). The applied methodologies are related to Network Theory, a branch of Graph Theory, and reliability. Reliability is associated with the good functioning of a product or system, the absence of breaks or failures in each period and the environmental conditions of use of the item. The data used refer to the period 2000-2018 and were obtained from the sector's regulatory body in Brazil. The study allows to estimate the reliability of the airport network, based on the centrality of airports (Network Theory). The results allow airports to be classified into three groups: adequate context, worrying context and critical context, thus signalling airports that may stop operating regular domestic traffic. The study does not aim to overlap or replace conventional analyses, recognized by the results, and applied over time. However, to present a new tool that allows the monitoring and preliminary analysis of airport networks, mainly domestic and regional networks, signalling to airport operators, regulators, and airlines the need for intervention (measures to reverse the trend) in the network, thus allowing, economic development and equitable access to all regions.

Scenarios of the Degree of Centrality and Density of the Networks of the Main Brazilian Airports Between 2003 to 2020

The identification of air transport networks is relevant to the economic development of a city or region, through its passenger demands, and, in this case, there may be a difference between the formation of these networks in different periods and which are the main actors compared in a sample of seven airports. The aim of this study is to analyze the degree of centrality of the network of the seven largest Brazilian passenger airports. This sample is based on the analysis of network indicators for the collection and extraction of passenger data between destinations and airport origins by the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). The Social Network Analysis (SNA) method was applied for the construction of networks through the application of @ Ucinet/Netdraw Version 6.716 software to understand the degree of centrality and the density of the network in the scenarios of 2003, 2007, 2015, 2018, and 2020. It was concluded that the conjuncture of the links and nodes within the scenarios of the hub-and-spoke airport networks of the flows is sustained, to a greater and lesser extent in the network, by an airport in the Brazilian midwestern region (Brasília) and two other airports in the southeastern region. For future contributions, the nine-month 2020 Covid-19 pandemic period was analyzed, bringing results such as reductions in the degrees of centrality and density of the network of these seven airports. Keywords. Airports. Passengers. Hub-And-Spoke. SNA. RESUMO A identificação das redes de transporte aéreo é relevante para o desenvolvimento econômico de uma cidade ou região, por meio de suas demandas de passageiros, e, neste caso, pode haver uma diferença entre a formação dessas redes em diferentes períodos e quais são os principais atores comparados em uma amostra de sete aeroportos. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o grau de centralidade da malha dos sete maiores aeroportos brasileiros de passageiros. Esta amostra é baseada na análise de indicadores de rede para coleta e extração de dados de passageiros entre destinos e origens aeroportuárias pela Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC). O método de Análise de Redes Sociais (SNA) foi aplicado para a construção de redes através da aplicação do software @ Ucinet / Netdraw Versão 6.716 para entender o grau de centralidade e a densidade da rede nos cenários de 2003, 2007, 2015, 2018, e 2020. Concluiu-se que a conjuntura dos elos e nós dentro dos cenários das redes hub-and-spoke airport nos fluxos é sustentada, em maior ou menor grau na rede, por um aeroporto da região centro-oeste brasileiro (Brasília) e outros dois aeroportos da região sudeste do Brasil. Para contribuições futuras o período pandêmico da Covid-19 de nove meses de 2020 foi analisado, trazendo resultados como as reduções nos graus de centralidade e densidade da rede destes sete aeroportos. Keywords. Aeroportos. Passageiros. Hub-And-Spoke. SNA.

Passenger profile and its effects on satisfaction level in food and beverage establishments: Case study of major Brazilian airports

Non-aeronautical revenues are becoming essential source in the financial health of airports, especially in the context of airport privatization through which the main Brazilian airports have been. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Customer Experience (CX) in the commercial areas of the 20 main Brazilian airports, using a broad database from the Permanent Passenger Satisfaction Survey, conducted by SAC (from 2016 to 2018). This paper joins other recent work that has attempted to fill a gap in the academic literature, where the topic of customer experience in commercial activities, has not yet been extensively explored. To analyze passenger satisfaction at Brazilian airports, a logit discrete choice model is used. The key findings were the identification of variables (such as nationality, type of flight, frequency, whether the passenger was accompanied or not, whether it was in connection, airline, and gender), which affect passenger perception regarding food and beverage services. It was observed that passengers traveling alone are more satisfied with cafeterias and restaurants, while frequent passengers at airports have a worse degree of satisfaction with commercial services.