ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on other policy implications. It discusses important policy issues related to air transport and regional development in relation to connectivity and accessibility, dependency, airport governance and regulation, and air traffic control frameworks. The book analyses how regional economic theory estimates the effects of changes in air transport infrastructure on regional economic development. It provides an overview of connectivity measures and presents a model to measure connectivity called Connum. The book discusses the concept of wider economic benefits often used to justify transport infrastructure expansion due to increases in access to markets and economic density. It also discusses the application of cost-benefit analysis to estimate the impact of air transport on regional development. The book reviews computable general equilibrium models that model both broad, economy-wide impacts of changes and specific sectors, such as transport markets.
