Benchmarking 

 

“What you cannot measure, you cannot manage.”

Airport benchmarking is a statistical and accounting process used to monitor and compare airport economic, operational and service performance. Benchmarking assesses the implementation of an airport’s strategic planning objectives to measure the performance of discrete airport functions. It also identifies best practices for possible incorporation into the organization’s procedures to increase efficiency, quality and customer satisfaction.

 

Benchmarking benefits

  • Establishes performance criteria/measures
  • Sets performance targets or goals
  • Identifies areas for performance audits
  • Supports developing presentations to airlines
  • Helps make a case for improved credit ratings
  • Aids in strategic planning
  • Pinpoints shortfalls in a changing environment

 

Key benchmarking areas

  • Traffic activity
  • Physical facilities
  • Airfield aircraft, terminal passenger and landside transportation processing efficiency
  • Airfield aeronautical charges
  • Terminal aeronautical charges
  • Terminal non-aeronautical concession revenues
  • Landside non-aeronautical concession revenues
  • Operating and maintenance costs
  • Financial ratios
  • Quality of community airline service
  • Quality of airport facilities and service
  • Personnel

 

Five benchmarking basics

  • Decide what to benchmark
  • Determine against whom to benchmark
  • Analyze data and identify key performance differentials
  • Set new performance goals
  • Monitor progress and communicate results to decision makers

 

Benchmarking studies

 

Compiled by Liying Gu (lgu@aci-na.org)
Director, Economic Affairs and Research
ACI-NA Center for Policy and Regulatory Affairs