Conditions for consolidation of Bandaranaike international airport as a regional aviation hub

Abstract

Abstract Development of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) as a Regional Aviation Hub is of great importance to the economy of Sri Lanka as it is virtually the only passenger gateway due to lack of land connectivity to the sub continent. Besides that, it plays a major role with regard to various businesses and industries that required faster transportation of goods and services to global and local markets. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the parameters of Aviation Hubs and their applicability in local terms to identify the specific conditions which arc necessary to consolidate BIA as a Regional Aviation Hub of South Asia./ The thesis compares the three basic parameters that are common to all the hubs in the world - (the catchment Area, enplanement & transit passenger volume and being a hub station of an international airline) - with BIA and concludes that improving the conditions related to these three parameters would enable BIA to become a Regional Aviation Hub of the South Asia. The significantly higher 'Transit Ratio', defined in this thesis as the ratio between transit passengers and total enplanement for a given mperiod shows that BIA has significant potential to emerge as a preferred 'transit point' for South Indian sectors./ The thesis highlights the fact that lack of a consistent aviation policy which encompasses a wide area of various facilities linked to aviation, as a major shortcoming. As a result, liberalization attempts of the past have only created monopolies which in turn have become counter productive to the development of BIA as a Regional Aviation Hub. It also highlights the areas which need to be improved and conditions that must be satisfied by adoption of the best practices of successful aviation hubs.