Airport Benefit Cost System: ABC

What is it? ABC is the Airport Benefit Cost analysis system developed by EDR Group for state and regional system planning. The system, originally developed with funding support by the FAA and Wisconsin Bureau of Aviation, is a structured database for evaluating characteristics of airports and proposed airport improvement projects. It is designed to be applicable for individual airports, groups of airports and/or all airports in a state or regional system.

What does it do? The ABC system is designed to assess:
• Roles of airports in meeting current and future aviation demand
• Roles of airports in reducing business costs and supporting economic growth
• Policies and investments designed to shift passenger and cargo among airports
• Benefits and costs of alternative airport investments, following FAA guidelines
• Inter-modal shifts between ground and air transport, for both passengers and cargo
• Shifts in benefits and costs among alternative classes of passengers and cargo
• Different views of benefits & costs from local, state, and national perspectives.

Model Inputs:
Aviation activity forecasts (changes in based aircraft; operations; passengers; cargo); Inter-modal shifts (changes in ground & air travel times, volumes & reliability); Inter-airport shifts (shifts in operations, passengers and cargo among airports); Inter-class shifts ( changes in airport focus on commuter, corporate, air service and other functions); and Alternative airport and project scenarios.

Model Output:
Changes in direct benefits - for air travelers
Changes in additional benefits - for businesses relying on air cargo and air travel
Changes in economic activity - local and state business output, jobs & taxes
Changes in capital and operating costs
Benefit-Cost analysis - discounted & undiscounted benefit & cost streams

What are its uses? The core of ABC-2 is a Microsoft Access application that can integrate with office software and with Airport Information Management Systems. The full system is used by Wisconsin DOT for its state airport system planning, and for benefit-cost analysis for upgrading runway, passenger and air cargo facilities. Its application has been reviewed by FAA staff, leading to first-of-a-kind FAA approval for major investments in an all-cargo airport to support a regional industry cluster. Other states use customized software derived from ABC-2; for instance, Michigan DOT's Community Benefit Assessment system implements ABC's economic impact modules. Colorado and Virginia statewide airport studies also utilized variants of this system.

Additional Information.

ABC Sample Forms and Reports (pdf 231k)

Case Study of ABC Use for Rock County Airport

other Wisconsin DOT studies using ABC (link)