Overall Role of an Airport in Today’s Society

Introduction

This coursework is prepared to examine the overall role of an airport in today’s society, and attempt to explain how airports can be a catalyst and contribute to the national economy both directly and indirectly. In order to achieve this goal, this coursework will review Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports to show how these two airports play a crucial role to engender economic growth of the region and the septs taken by the local governments to sustain the development and expansion of the economic benefits derived from these airports. The importance of an airport in any country is intuitive when looking at the economic benefits it brings about through employment opportunities it offers, starting from the initial phase of the construction all the way as long as its operational life time, and the influx of business and leisure travelers that will utilize the airport resulting in an economic activity that will benefit the country.

It is possible to group the economic benefits created by a properly run and functional airport into two categories.. First, the employment, the tax revenues, the income and the capital investment that airport operation can bring by being significant generators of economic activity. Second, the bigger spin-off advantages like tourism and foreign investment which is created just by the mere existence of the airport. All the above activities can develop the economy of the area around the airport. Thus, airports play a big role both by supporting business and tourism activity and by creating important economic activity in their own right.

As such, this coursework will explain the crucial role an airport plays in a city’s or country’s economy, social, culture, politics and military activities.

Economic Impact:

As a result of the presence of an airport, there will be an increased speed of trade due to faster means of transportation, the amount of imports and exports will be increased due to a big reduction in time spent from place of production till the place of export. A pertinent example for this will be the

export and import of perishable items like sea foods, chemicals and live animals which were not possible earlier due to the non existence of suitable airport in the nearby community.

Passenger transportation from a specific region of a community which was not accessible earlier will give an access for freedom of travel both locally and internationally.

Tourism will also be boosted as new airport create a new destination and will give a good access to areas which were previously inaccessible.

Employment opportunities will increase due to the operations taking place in and around the airport, new businesses will be established by foreign investors which will create more jobs.

Social and cultural:

Building a new airport will facilitate cultural exchanges between and among communities and international travelers. It will also promote local culture to visitors, faster and more communication with the rest of the world, more information exchange inbound and outbound, increase in people’s mobility giving them access to travel abroad in search of a better life and good job, a better chance of higher education abroad as students can travel on a short school holiday avoiding connection flight there by reducing travel time.

Political:

The population around the airport and the region will mostly maintain political freedom, and conduct their political activity with more autonomy and will be less dependent on regional airports for their essential and sovereign activity. .

Military: A flying school both for professional and recreational purpose can be started creating job opportunities for all working around there, and creating professional pilots who can be working for the local airline and can even get employment overseas.

An army base can be established within the vicinity of the new airport, which can strength the power of the army by training new cadets for the Navy and the Air force.

A catalyst effect of Airports in the national Economy:

Besides generating increased economic activities in its own right an airport can have a big role in attracting and sustaining a big economic activity in terms of both tourism and business development around the area. This is a catalytic, magnetic or spin-off impact. This impact can be defined as the employment, investment, income and tax revenues generated by the big role that an airport can play by acting as economic magnet for the region it serves. Airports play a big role in decision making