GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis for the “Highway in the sky”

This paper describes a methodology for analyzing the feasibility of a system of minor airports designed to increase the use of air travel for short trips in Italy. The study starts with an analysis of Italian territory and the positioning of its minor airports; the database of the Geographical Information System (GIS) provided by Italy’s National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) is used to describe the country’s main geographical and economic features. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is developed for processing the dataset and creating a platform shared by all stakeholders. Thanks to the Spatial Multi-Criteria Analysis (SDSS) arrived at, it is possible to localize the best position for new minor airports and to formulate strategies for improving existing ones.