The dynamic planning approach and the death of the traditional master plan

The sluggish economy, business globalisation and changes within the aviation industry around the world have made it nearly impossible to accurately predict long- or even short-term changes in air and passenger traffic and determine the timing for needed improvements. This pace of rapid change has significantly reduced the effectiveness of the traditional Airport Master Plan. In response to these changes, a new approach to aviation planning was incorporated into recent planning projects at Elmira Corning Regional Airport and Niagara Falls International Airport in New York State. The basis for this approach is a robust and flexible computer model that analyses future airport scenarios using basic user inputs, allowing an airport sponsor the ability to consider how changes in air traffic, cost structure or even change in airport mission would impact future development and financial outcomes. This approach considers both likely and unforeseen scenarios and adjusts airport plans for terminal development, cost structure and space allocation to incorporate these inputs and scenarios. This paper details the genesis of this dynamic planning approach and the development of the Dynamic Analysis Tool (DAT) computer model, which moves the airport master plan from simply a plan to a true management tool.