Reconsidering airport economic impact assessments: A bottom-up comparative analysis of Belgian airports
(2025) Journal of Air Transport Management — Vol. 128, n° 102854, p. 17 (2025)
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- Abstract
- This study analyses and compares the economic impact of Belgium's five commercial airports on their region and country. The airports represent different types, including Belgium's main airport, Brussels Airport and four regional airports: a low-cost regional airport (Brussels South Charleroi Airport), a specialised cargo regional airport (Liège Airport), and two small regional airports (Antwerp Airport and Ostend-Bruges Airport). The economic impact is measured through input-output analysis, which assesses added value and employment on a direct, indirect, and induced level. To improve accuracy, we employ a bottom-up approach that links company-level employment and added value data to the input-output framework via NACE classifications. Additionally, a Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis is introduced to strengthen the robustness of our findings. Our results demonstrate significant differences in the airports' economic contributions based on airport size and operational focus, with Liège Airport's cargo specialisation generating a particularly strong regional impact. These findings lead to a broader discussion on airport subsidies based on the economic impact. Beyond the Belgian context, our bottom-up approach provides a replicable framework for more precise airport impact assessments.
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Jourquin, B., & et al. (2025). Reconsidering airport economic impact assessments: A bottom-up comparative analysis of Belgian airports. Journal of Air Transport Management, 128(102854), 17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102854 (Original work published 2025)