The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Airport Demand Forecasts and Critical Aircraft for Commercial Service Airports Serving Southwest Michigan

Author

Matthew Wietstock, Western Michigan UniversityFollow

Date of Defense

4-19-2022

Date of Graduation

12-2022

Department

Aviation

First Advisor

Jessica Birnbaum

Second Advisor

Stephanie Ward

Third Advisor

Zachary Puchacz

Keywords

airport planning, demand forecasting, critical aircraft, time-series analysis, market-share analysis, socio-economic analysis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the aviation industry and the nature of how airports predict their future use. This paper conducts a new analysis of the various prediction methods regarding airport demand forecasting using the commercial service airports serving Southwest Michigan. Primarily, the methods researched include time-series analysis using regressions, market-share analysis, and an examination of socio-economic factors. While no one method prevails over the other, the market-share analysis has proven to be the most realistic predictor in three of the four airports analyzed, with time-series analysis predicting the other. A thorough analysis of these forecasting methods can help airports determine a practical use scenario, leading to timely infrastructure and development investments.

Recommended Citation

Wietstock, Matthew, "The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Airport Demand Forecasts and Critical Aircraft for Commercial Service Airports Serving Southwest Michigan" (2022). Honors Theses. 3611.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/3611

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access