Airport and airline choice in a multiple airport system: an empirical analysis for the San Fransisco Bay area

Pels E. Nijkamp P. and Rietveld P. (2001) Airport and airline choice in a multiple airport region: an empirical analysis for the San Francisco Bay area, Reg. Studies 35, 1-9. In this paper a nested logit model is used to describe passenger preferences concerning airports and airlines. A statistical model for the passengers' sequential choice of airport and airline is calibrated. It appears the nested multinomial logit model, with airports as the common elements in the nests, is statistically preferable to the 'standard' multinomial logit model. Frequency and access time to the airport are all significant. Separate models are estimated for business and leisure travellers, but there appear to be only small differences