Evaluating the Competitiveness of Cargo Airports using Best-Worst Method

The global economy and the air transport business have been affected since the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. As countries tighten restrictions on international movements, the growing emphasis on air cargo puts pressure on airports to maintain and upgrade their cargo policies, facilities, and operations. Hence, ensuring the competitiveness of cargo airports becomes pivotal for airports survival under the volatile global demand. The study aims to evaluate the importance of the competitiveness factors for cargo airports and identify areas for further improvement. The study applies the Best-Worst Method (BWM) to assess the cargo airports' competitiveness factors: 'Transport Capacity,' 'Airport Operations and Facility Capacity,' 'Economic Growth,' 'Financial Performance,' and 'Airport Brand Value.' The selected airports include Heathrow Airport, Aéroport de Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Hong Kong International Airport, and Incheon International Airport. The results identify 'Transport Capacity' as the most significant competitiveness factor, and Hong Kong International Airport the best performing cargo airport. This research forms a reference framework for evaluating cargo airports' competitive position, which may help identify airports' relative strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, this framework can also serve as a tool facilitating the strategic design of airports that may accommodate both air cargo and passenger demand flexibly under the demand uncertainty.