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Table 6-1 presents additional research findings from the interview and polling portion of the researchâthese are presented as informational âsnapshotsâ and are intended to provide Guide- book users with additional insights into national issues and opinions potentially relevant to public-use airport preservation. 45 C H A P T E R 6 Additional Research Findings
46 A Guidebook for the Preservation of Public-Use Airports Topic Comments Top problems in aviation today. 1 The top five general problems in aviation cited by the in terview subjects were high fuel costs, funding/budget shortfalls, high costs, over -regulation, and airspace. The next highest were no local and political support, the econo my generally , land use, land values, develop me nt around airports, and low business profits. Small airports in the future. 2 Eighty-seven percent (87%) of interview subjects believe that sm all airports will be im portant to the next generation. Airport closures as a local issue. 3 Fifty-one percent (51%) of interview subjects stated that airport closures are not an issue that people are talking about in their ho me state. Airport closures as a future problem. 4 Seventy-four percent (74%) of interview subjects stated that they believed that airport closures will be a proble m in the future. Airport closures as a personal inconvenience. 5 Seventy-one percent (71%) of interview subjects stated that they had never been a regular user of an airport that is now closed. This suggests that as mu ch as two thirds of the interview subjects ma y have never been seriously personally inconvenienced by an airport closure. Support for a national airport preservation program. 6 Forty-nine percent (49%) of interview subjects stated that they would support a national airport preservation program that co mp eted for funding with other FA A projects. Tw enty-nine percent (29%) of interview subjects were undecided on this question, the highest undecided nu mb er recorded in the research. Future growth in aviation activity. 7 There is no consensus in the aviation co mmunity about whether aviation activity will increas e, decrease, or stay the sam e. Tw enty-eight percent (28%) of interview subjects predicted an increase, twenty-seven percent (27%) predicted a decrease, thirty-eight percent (38%) predicted the sa me, and nine percent (9%) could not be readily classified in said term s. Anecdotally , a nu mb er of subjects inferred that heavy and corporate general aviation use was increasing and that light and pleasure general aviation use was decreasing. The inference is that sm aller airports that cannot accomm odate heavy and corporate general aviation users are at an increased risk of loss of traf fic and that lar ge airports acco mm odating heavy and corporate general aviation are at less risk of loss of traf fi c. State and local support for airport preservation. 8 Forty-seven percent (47%) of interview subjects stated that they thought their state or local governm ents mi ght be interested in spending funds to help preserve an airport. Tw enty-five percent (25%) responded no. The long-term outlook for GA airports. 9 Forty-seven percent (47%) of people polled on the question had a positive long-term business outlook for general aviation airports. Te n percent (10%) had a negative outlook and forty-four percent (44%) had a neutral or âotherâ outlook. Airport profitability problem areas. 10 People polled about why general aviation airports were having troubles showing a profit mo st frequently cited declining ma rkets generally , the econo my generally , need for mo re pr om otion/selling, and nee d for better business execution. Airport layout and design. 11 People polled on the question should an airportâ s layout and design drive its business m odel or should the business m odel drive airport layout and design overwhelm ingly respond (57% to 10%) that the airport business m odel should drive the airportâ s layout and design. Business models and business plans. 12 People polled about whether or not the business m odels and business plans at general aviation airports are fully ef fective for the markets and custo me rs they se rve overwhelmingly respond (53% to 10%) that they are NOT fully effective. Improving airport profitability. 13 People polled about what can be done to ma ke general aviation airports mo re profitable or self-sustaining mo st frequently cited more prom otion/selli ng, better industry PR/lobbying, mo re flexible property develop m ent, better rates/char ges/fees ma nagem ent, and better business planning/execution. Self sustaining funding of the capital budget. 14 People polled about whether or not general aviation airports can be self-sustaining regarding their capital construction budgets overwhelm ingly respond (77% to 10%) th at airports CANNOT be self-sustaining. Airport business plan funding. 15 Seventy-four percent (74%) of people polled about whether or not federal funding of airport business planning would help airports becom e mo re pr ofitable or self-sustaining, answered that it would be helpful. Table 6-1. Additional research findings.