|
Towards a New Airport Management
Model in Spain
Roberto Díez Pisonero
Department
of Regional Analysis in Geography.University
Complutense of Madrid.Faculty of Geography and
History.Calle Profesor Aranguren,
s/n. Ciudad Universitaria. 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Corresponding author Email :
rdpisonero@ghis.ucm.es
Accepted 18 June 2013
|
|
The Spanish airport management model has undergone
profound changes in recent years as a result of the
deregulation process that took place at the end of
the last century. One of the major impacts resulting
from air transport liberalization has been the
emergence and consolidation of low cost airlines (LCA)
which are able to provide better rates at very
affordable prices thanks to its business model. The
strong growth in recent years, embodied in the
increasing number of passengers, companies, routes
and frequencies, has been become a phenomenon of
huge importance and impact, described by many
authors as a "revolution" of the airline industry.
In this situation, the model has started a policy of
change (either by extending existing airports, or by
new establishments) to take advantage of the
potentials that these infrastructures may offer in
places where they are settled. The novelty lies in
the new management model, which began in the new
Spanish airports, that introduces private
initiatives and in an effort to compete with the
centralized monopoly involved AENA (Spanish Airports
and Air Navigation) in the management and regulation
of Spanish airports. In this paper, two main
objectives are focused on from a geographical and
inclusive perspective. First, analyzing risks,
interests and conflicts generated around these new
private airports among different actors involved in
the construction and design of them (social,
political, economic or territorial actors). Second,
assessing the major gaps and weaknesses from
governments that enable the implementation of such
projects. In this sense, some questions are
wondered: Why invest in private airports? Are they
really necessary? Do they contribute truly to
territorial development? Or, conversely, are they
merely speculative operations carried out under a
time of economic boom?
Keywords: airport management, private
airports, urban planning, Spain.
|
