Measuring seasonal demand for Spanish airports: Implications for counter-seasonal strategies

Using Gini coefficients, this paper investigates the seasonal concentration of passenger demand at airports in Spain. It finds that seasonal concentration in Spain is low but varies greatly by airport. It is generally higher at airports that serve holiday areas versus heterogeneous metropolitan areas, except at airports that serve year-round holiday areas. There is no significant relationship between airport size and seasonal concentration. A decomposition of seasonal concentration at Ibiza Airport finds that international and charter markets enhance seasonal concentration. Domestic and scheduled markets reduce seasonal concentration, except scheduled low-cost markets that enhance seasonal concentration. The findings have implications for airport management, especially concerning counter-seasonal marketing strategies.