Question

Case: Airport Authority

The Airport Authority (AA) has been under considerable pressure from the Regional Government to increase capacity at Changow Airport. Originally built fifty years ago as a small regional airport serving a population of 250000, Changow's single runway is at full capacity for 20 hours of the day. The region's population has climbed to over 5 million and much of this growth in air travel is due to the rapid economic expansion of the region from industry and tourism.

The options facing the AA are not attractive. To increase capacity at Changow presents some serious engineering problems on the only available land to the north, over which a new runway must be built. The problems are due to local geology and some regular flooding from the Hankse River delta flowing nearby. A residential population of about 1 million lives within an area of 15 kilometers to the north of the airport and they believe that their lives would be affected severely by a major new runway.

Moreover, economic developments close to the airport crowd right up to the southern boundary, which is the only suitable means of access from Changow city for a wider road. The land close to the east and west boundaries contains mainly high income residential properties, mixed with isolated green sites, containing rare natural plants, exotic birds and other small wildlife. The State Government recently designated some of these areas as ‘National Heritage Sites’.

The other option is to build a completely new airport at Fongow, at a distance of forty kilometers from Changow, in agricultural land, presently farmed by thousands of small holders, whose families have worked the land there for many generations. New access roads would be needed, plus, perhaps a railway system which would require many bridges and tunnels, and the airport would be close to high wooded hills. There are doubts about the operational feasibility of building an airport so far from the regional capital.

The local political representatives, all members of the governing coalition, favor expansion of Changow airport on the grounds of ‘national economic development’, ‘social progress’ and national pride. So does local business, which claims that the current airport is holding back economic expansion in the region. Airport passengers, business and tourist alike, are plagued by long delays to flights and missed connections, and traffic jams during access and egress/way out along the airport's single and inadequate southern road to Changow city.

Public disquiet/worry about proposals to expand Changow airport have surfaced and are attracting media interest. The main opposition comes from local residents around the airport, though they do not yet form a majority. On the southern boundary, people living along the main road to the airport oppose widening the road because this would mean demolishing many thousands of homes. People living just behind these houses oppose widening because this brings the new road right up to their properties. A ‘Homes Before Roads’ campaign is underway.

People to the north oppose a new airport runway because of the impact during construction and afterwards on the residents who would have to move to make way for it, and on those left behind, who would be near aircraft taking off and landing. A ‘Hands off the Hankse’ campaign has been formed.

1. Summarize the main finding(s) of the case.

Answer 1

The main findings of the case are as summarized below:

1. Current Changow Airport serves a population of 250000 people and the population has expanded to 500000 and there is only a single runway at the airport which is 100% occupied for 30 hours of the day. Hence there is a need to expand the airport and construct a parallel runway.

2. There are operational challenges in byiling a new runway towards the north since Hanske River delta is nearby and there is regular flooding due to it. Moreover the residents nearby pose a challenge and do not want construction of roads near to the area where they reside as it would disturb the local geology and people would be affected due to it.

3. Another option is to build an airport at Fongow which is at a distance of forty kilometers from Changow, in agricultural land, presently farmed by thousands of small holders. New access roads would be needed, plus, perhaps a railway system which would require many bridges and tunnels, and the airport would be close to high wooded hills. There are doubts about the operational feasibility of building an airport so far from the regional capital.

4. There is a support from local political representatives, governing coalition members etc for expansion of Changow airpirt on account of economic development. However there are protests from local residents nearby to the site of airport and they have organised campaigns to protest the airport expansion.