Investments in Rural Air Transportation Networks in Developing Countries

Abstract

Rural airfields provide vital access to many remote regions of the world, thus enabling their socioeconomic development. While these facilities are usually very simple, their construction and maintenance can be very difficult. Thus, governments must balance the need to provide access with the cost of providing access. In this paper, we present a quantitative methodology for evaluating investment decisions in rural air transportation networks. The intended purpose of the methodology is to provide policymakers with enough understanding so that they can develop strategies that meet the accessibility needs of remote locations while making the best use of available resources. The first step in the methodology is to determine the importance of air links to the different points in the network. Next, the existing and desired infrastructure are evaluated in terms of their ability to support the expected traffic. These evaluations are followed by a gap analysis to determine the infrastructure deficit and provide the basis for the formulation of different investment strategies. In this paper we consider the case of Costa Rica and provide useful insights for policymakers interested in supporting rural air transportation networks.