Analysis of Barriers to the Utility of General Aviation Based on a User Survey and Mode Choice Model

Abstract

General aviation is an underutilized transportation mode, particularly when compared to alternative modes such as the automobile and the commercial airlines. In this research, barriers to the utility of general aviation were identified through a web-based survey of active general aviation pilots, with 1,471 surveys returned and suitable for analysis. The survey data indicated five key barriers which were thought by pilots to be currently reducing their ability to utilize general aviation transportation to its fullest extent: weather, expense of the travel mode, a lack of mobility at the destination, doorstep-to-destination travel time, and reduced access to general aviation transportation.