An analysis of the operational efficiency of major airports in the United States

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the performance of various airlines and air carriers in terms of efficiency. Although it is obvious that air carriers use airports, few studies have focused on airport operational efficiency. This empirical study evaluates the operational efficiencies of 44 major U.S. airports using data envelopment analysis and some of its recent developments. Various airport characteristics are evaluated to determine their relationship to an airport's efficiency. Efficiency measures are based on four resource input measures including airport operational costs, number of airport employees, gates and runways, and five output measures including operational revenue, passenger flow, commercial and general aviation movement, and total cargo transportation. The results of this study have operational as well as public policy implications.