Infrastructure and socioeconomic characteristics of small airports with regular commercial aviation services on thin-demand routes operated by low-capacity aircraft
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3846/aviation.2026.26847Abstract
The existing literature on the aviation market has focused more on analysing high-capacity airports served by larger aircraft, often overlooking smaller airports that operate low-capacity planes on routes with low demand. This study examines Azul Conecta’s operations in Brazil using Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft, focusing on the key features of the airports served by this niche service. It applies k-means clustering to 189 airports in Brazil and examines the characteristics of the services they provide. It aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding the characteristics of airports used in this niche market. The findings indicate that airport characteristics associated with the presence of flight service, including socioeconomic variables, are typically associated with regular commercial aviation, whereas infrastructure characteristics are identified as differentiation factors in airports with more limited resources.
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air transport, general aviation, infrastructure, small airport business, regional aviationHow to Cite
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Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.
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Copyright (c) 2026 The Author(s). Published by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University.
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