Air transport accessibility is an essential factor for the development of any advanced economy: the process of globalization has extended to a large part of the world the social and economic context with which it is necessary to maintain a stable and meaningful connectivity. As a result, it is now a well-established fact that regions compete to attract directional and productive functions with the greatest added value. Aviation is undistinguishably linked to the landside accessibility of the airport, which is a decisive element for development prospects. The implementation of infrastructural interventions that move in the direction of ensuring a better accessibility for airports and the strengthening of airports that influence on large and consolidated catchment areas represent an element that generates benefits to the system also in terms of the size of national airports, which may be able to determine a significant growth in traffic both for passengers, and for goods. Mainly, landside accessibility represents a key element for the development of the airport and the growth of air accessibility in the regional competition on a continental scale, even more strategic within the recovery strategic plan for post- pandemic world. So, the study has been developed in order to assess the future evolution of the landside accessibility of the Milan-Malpensa airport (also known as MXP) correlated to the development strategies and planned investments for the main road infrastructure network (highways, ring roads, large connections, etc.) in reference to competing airports for short-range, long-range and freight demand segments. Coherently, the study area included Norther Italy, South of France and the Switzerland – for a total population of 51,1 mln inhab. - and established a wide area traffic model - 984 zones included- aimed at identifying a methodology to assess the differential of MXP's road accessibility compared to other competing airports and in relation to infrastructure development strategies. An appropriate accessibility model (place-based) has been applied to different scenarios for specific time horizon (2025, 2030 or 2035) and characterized by a set of infrastructural intervention coherent with investment programs and plans by major Infrastructure Management Bodies. Clearly, this required a precise examination and classification of the infrastructural projects included in the planning documents of territorial government bodies -regional and national-for Italy, France and Switzerland, collected in a specific database. The main result of the study is represented by several accessibility maps illustrating the differential grade of accessibility of Milano MXP from each traffic zone of the study area for the different scenarios vs. “business as usual” scenario. Furthermore, for each scenario, the evolution trend of MXP accessibility index has been traced in respect to the other airports in competition for the 3 different demand segments. The research also leads to the construction of a powerful tool for strategic analysis, thanks to the territorial scale of analysis and the detailed work of collecting and configuring infrastructural measures along the road network. Detailed analysis of the impacts on the differential accessibility of a single intervention or clusters will be able to support the airport manager in the stakeholder engagement process related to the planning and implementation of the works, with repercussions also in terms of accessibility policies at the airport (dynamic pricing of parking spaces, support for public transport services, etc.) and flight offer compared to competing airports. The study is viewed in a broader context regarding the Masterplan of Malpensa airport, divided into temporal scenarios that see the year 2035 as the horizon of completion of the project and entry into operation of the new functions related to passenger air traffic, freight traffic and logistics, to the new production activities and services planned in the areas surrounding the airport grounds.
The role of road network improvement in aviation recovery – the case study of Malpensa airport Masterplan
Francesco De Fabiis;Fulvio Silvestri;Pierluigi Coppola
2022-01-01
Abstract
Air transport accessibility is an essential factor for the development of any advanced economy: the process of globalization has extended to a large part of the world the social and economic context with which it is necessary to maintain a stable and meaningful connectivity. As a result, it is now a well-established fact that regions compete to attract directional and productive functions with the greatest added value. Aviation is undistinguishably linked to the landside accessibility of the airport, which is a decisive element for development prospects. The implementation of infrastructural interventions that move in the direction of ensuring a better accessibility for airports and the strengthening of airports that influence on large and consolidated catchment areas represent an element that generates benefits to the system also in terms of the size of national airports, which may be able to determine a significant growth in traffic both for passengers, and for goods. Mainly, landside accessibility represents a key element for the development of the airport and the growth of air accessibility in the regional competition on a continental scale, even more strategic within the recovery strategic plan for post- pandemic world. So, the study has been developed in order to assess the future evolution of the landside accessibility of the Milan-Malpensa airport (also known as MXP) correlated to the development strategies and planned investments for the main road infrastructure network (highways, ring roads, large connections, etc.) in reference to competing airports for short-range, long-range and freight demand segments. Coherently, the study area included Norther Italy, South of France and the Switzerland – for a total population of 51,1 mln inhab. - and established a wide area traffic model - 984 zones included- aimed at identifying a methodology to assess the differential of MXP's road accessibility compared to other competing airports and in relation to infrastructure development strategies. An appropriate accessibility model (place-based) has been applied to different scenarios for specific time horizon (2025, 2030 or 2035) and characterized by a set of infrastructural intervention coherent with investment programs and plans by major Infrastructure Management Bodies. Clearly, this required a precise examination and classification of the infrastructural projects included in the planning documents of territorial government bodies -regional and national-for Italy, France and Switzerland, collected in a specific database. The main result of the study is represented by several accessibility maps illustrating the differential grade of accessibility of Milano MXP from each traffic zone of the study area for the different scenarios vs. “business as usual” scenario. Furthermore, for each scenario, the evolution trend of MXP accessibility index has been traced in respect to the other airports in competition for the 3 different demand segments. The research also leads to the construction of a powerful tool for strategic analysis, thanks to the territorial scale of analysis and the detailed work of collecting and configuring infrastructural measures along the road network. Detailed analysis of the impacts on the differential accessibility of a single intervention or clusters will be able to support the airport manager in the stakeholder engagement process related to the planning and implementation of the works, with repercussions also in terms of accessibility policies at the airport (dynamic pricing of parking spaces, support for public transport services, etc.) and flight offer compared to competing airports. The study is viewed in a broader context regarding the Masterplan of Malpensa airport, divided into temporal scenarios that see the year 2035 as the horizon of completion of the project and entry into operation of the new functions related to passenger air traffic, freight traffic and logistics, to the new production activities and services planned in the areas surrounding the airport grounds.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
