Airport benchmarking: a review of the current situation

Purpose - To provide an overview of the current attitudes and practical experience of airport benchmarking. Design/methodology/approach - A range of benchmarking studies are critiqued. The paper considers the partial performance measures which are used from an economic, operational and environmental perspective. It also investigates more complex modelling approaches which have been undertaken to gain greater insight into an airport's overall performance. In addition an assessment is made of the role of benchmarking in airport regulation. Findings - The paper finds that benchmarking techniques have become well established in recent years within the airport sector. However there is still some way to go in overcoming some of the problems that inhibit effective benchmarking on a truly international basis. Research limitations/implications - The paper focuses on methodological issues and does not discuss the findings of research in this area. Practical implications - A very useful source of information for all researchers in academia and industry who wish to use airport benchmarking techniques. Originality/value - The paper provides a comprehensive and unique review of the benchmarking techniques currently in use for airports.