Quantifying the Causal Impact of Airport Capacity Expansion on Delay

Abstract

This paper quantifies the causal impacts of improved gate and runway capacity on airport delay. To estimate the causal effects, it applies a synthetic control method to data on Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The results show that the gate capacity expansion in MIA airport substantially relieves departure delay, arrival delay, and taxi-in delay, however, it has no effect on taxi-out delay. The runway capacity expansion of FLL airport results in more than 10-15% decline in departure and arrival delay during peak months and a 30-50% decrease in taxi-out delay, while increasing taxi-in delay. Given the considerable cost of airport delay and new airport infrastructural investments, these results are of high importance for airport operators and government decision-makers to plan such investments.