Passenger winners and losers in the multi-airport system era: Evidence from Beijing tracking individual travel activities

The operation of a new airport in a metropolitan area affects the travel utility of passengers living in different areas, which can be attributed to alterations in airport accessibility and flight schedules. However, owing to data limitations regarding the observed origins of passengers, previous studies have overlooked the transport impacts of emerging airports within multi-airport systems (MAS). Through an innovative approach, we leveraged an extensive dataset, which constitutes a new data source, to track the individual travel activities of passengers departing from Beijing. This novel methodology enabled us to investigate the factors that influence passengers’ choice of airport and to calculate their travel utilities before and after the introduction of the new airport. Our findings provide compelling insights. First, ground-side access times are important determinants that provide accurate forecasts for passengers’ airport choice in Beijing MAS. Second, at the intraregional scale, MAS benefits residents of South Beijing, while those living in North Beijing are more likely to be negatively affected. Finally, at the inter-regional level, the Beijing MAS has benefited passengers traveling to large airports in the Yangtze River Delta and the Chengdu-Chongqing region, as well as small airports in remote areas. This study contributes significantly to the understanding of the multifaceted impact of MAS on regional mobility, offering valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers.