A Cost Analysis of Space Available Travel
Abstract
The intent of this research was to determine the cost of Space Available travel to the government. In 1999, an AFIT thesis documented that the government spent approximately $30 million on processing and transporting Space Available passengers in FY97 and FY98. However, due to different methodologies applied, it is believed that this paper presents a more accurate cost analysis of the Space Available program. This research calculated the manpower and fuel costs required to process and transport Space Available passengers. A time study was conducted to obtain the time required of a passenger service agent to process a passenger through the passenger terminal. Regression equations were applied for the five most commonly used organic airlift used for Space Available travel to obtain the fuel costs. Once those costs were calculated, an overall Space Available program cost was determined as well as a cost per passenger and a cost per bag. Overall, the government spends approximately $2.6 million annually to operate the Space Available program. This research recommends instituting a fee, either per passenger or per bag, to help recoup some of the monies expended as we move forward in a budget constrained environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 14, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA602592
Entities
People
- Karen P. Rupp
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology