A Guide for Airport Parking Operation and Revenue Management Models
BACKGROUND Airport parking fees are a critical source of non-aeronautical revenue for airports. According to a 2024 Airport Council International (ACI) report, U.S. airports generate approximately $5-7 billion annually from parking, accounting for 43% of total non-aeronautical revenues. Given the significance of this revenue stream, airports are prioritizing enhanced customer experiences while exploring new monetization opportunities. Over the past 5–10 years, many airports have adopted innovations such as cashless, attendant free in-lane kiosks, dynamic pricing models, and pre-booked parking reservations to streamline operations and boost yields. Research is needed to help airport practitioners compare the long-term financial and operational performance of various parking operating models (including hybrid third-party) across different airport sizes and regions. This research should help airport practitioners assess the impact of emerging technologies and pricing strategies on customer satisfaction, utilization rates, and revenue optimization under various operating models. OBJECTIVE The objective of this research is to develop a guide to help implement parking strategies, map the future parking models and evaluate the pros and cons of each operational model, and enable airports to select the approach that best aligns with their strategic goals. The guide will include, at a minimum, the following sections: A comprehensive review of dynamic pricing in airport parking operations and revenue management strategies (e.g., rate optimization, marketing strategies, etc.) incorporating the current state of the practice across all airport categories (e.g., large hub, medium hub, small hub, and non-hub); Best practices for gap analysis and baseline criteria establishment: Methods for parking and ground transportation (GT) demand forecasting Customer experience enhancement Passenger surveys and mystery shopper program Planning, engineering, and information technology infrastructure requirements Hardware specifications Civil infrastructure requirements Software solutions and integration Data management and analytics Evaluation of parking operations models (e.g., in-house, contracted, hybrid third party) (Special Note A) Methods for identifying revenue and commercial management strategies (with step-by-step implementation guidance): Comprehensive marketing plan development Design and rollout of loyalty programs eCommerce platform integration and optimization Rate strategy formulation and adjustment Dynamic pricing for airport parking (definition, yield management frameworks, reservation systems, surge pricing mechanics, etc.) (Special Note B) Data analytics for airport parking (core definitions, predictive modeling, real-time decisioning strategies, etc.) (Special Note C) Ancillary revenue streams (e.g., insurance add-ons, premium guest reservations, administrative fees, etc.) Governance structures and oversight protocols Key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring successful implementation of yield management, dynamic pricing, and related strategies (Special Note D) Stakeholder mapping and role definition (top-down hierarchy) Executive buy-in and sponsorship Governance structure (authority, board members, etc.) Comprehensive communication plan to secure alignment and buy-in High-level overview of change management strategies for successful adoption of new parking operating models Case studies: in-depth analysis of diverse airports across size categories (large hub, medium hub, small hub, non-hub) and geographies, including U.S. examples and international examples to illustrate successful implementations and outcomes (Special Note E).
Language
- English
Project
- Status: Active
- Funding: $350,000.00
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Contract Numbers:
Project 01-61
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Sponsor Organizations:
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC United States 20591 -
Managing Organizations:
Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)
Transportation Research Board
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Project Managers:
Christensen, Jordan
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Performing Organizations:
Ricondo & Associates, Incorporated
Miami, FL United States -
Principal Investigators:
Buckner, Jenna
- Start Date: 20260801
- Expected Completion Date: 20280130
- Actual Completion Date: 0
- USDOT Program: Airport Cooperative Research Program
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Airports; Best practices; Parking; Parking facilities
- Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Terminals and Facilities;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01963022
- Record Type: Research project
- Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
- Contract Numbers: Project 01-61
- Files: TRB, RIP
- Created Date: Aug 12 2025 10:30AM