ABSTRACT
Until the 1980s the traditional view of airports, held by many governments, industry operators and academics, was that airports were monopolies (a view still held by many today). Airports were seen as, and generally operated as, monopoly providers of services to both airlines and passengers. Airports were not perceived as being subject to competitive forces. The commonly held view was that there was little an airport could do to increase demand for its services or divert demand from other airports. Airport marketing was viewed as an oxymoron. 1 Airports were largely passive service providers. The job of marketing and identifying new air service opportunities was left to the airlines.
