Ricerc@Sapienza

The infrastructures supporting air transport throughout the world in the civil sector are classified as primary-level (large numbers of passengers and goods on both commercial and charter long- and medium-haul flights) and secondary-level (few passengers and goods on general aviation private, short-haul flights). In parallel with primary-level air traffic general growth all over the world and in Italy, the popularity of “individual” nonscheduled general aviation traffic increased in many countries since 1990s.

General Aviation or second-level flights all over the world and in Italy are increasing in parallel with the main-level air traffic growth. They represent a valid opportunity of transport for short-medium-distance journeys for different type of business and tourist demand instead of rail and road transports. According to the national and international airport forecasts of growth, the paper illustrates a multi-criterial spatial evaluation approach (full-integrated type) for the streamlining of the second-level airport network.

Alongside the general growth of air traffic in Primary-level airports of each country, since the 1990s the popularity of “individual” (private), General Aviation, non-scheduled “point to point” flights all over the world and in Italy increased. They have proved to be a valid alternative to rail and road transport for short-medium-distance journeys (for different classes of business and tourist passengers).