Abstract

Purpose: Small airports are social and economic enablers and facilitate businesses and individuals. They contribute significantly to the distribution and logistics of the local produce - be it goods or services, thereby impacting the economy but have limited access to funds and poor management restricts their development. Despite the importance, small airports in small cities struggle financially as they are unable to earn profits and have higher operating costs. In other words, this is a paradoxical situation for small airports wherein, despite losses, the regional or national public authorities still finance such airports under socio-economic obligations. Therefore, this study aims to identify the critical success factors for improving small airports' performance and propose a business model. Research design, data and methodology: Using the qualitative research, interviews with 16 stakeholders from Guwahati, Tirupati, Bhubaneswar and Dehradun airports in india were examined. Results: The analysis reveals strategic planning and low cost, non-passenger services, and development of airport economic region as the main factors contributing towards small airports' success. Additionally, providing logistics to the local businesses and creating niche markets are suggested. Conclusions: Small airports, based on their services and the means of targeting customers, could select the relevant approach to improve their overall performance and improve profitability.