Article citation information:
Šarić,
J., Vidović, A., Štimac, I., Abramović B. Potentials
of Franjo Tudman airport in the development of intermodal transport. Scientific Journal of Silesian
University of Technology. Series Transport. 2023, 119, 267-278. ISSN: 0209-3324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20858/sjsutst.2023.119.16.
Jure ŠARIĆ[1],
Andrija VIDOVIĆ[2],
Igor ŠTIMAC[3],
Borna ABRAMOVIĆ[4]
POTENTIALS OF
FRANJO TUDMAN AIRPORT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERMODAL TRANSPORT
Summary. In the
territory of the Republic of Croatia, not a single airport is connected to the
railway infrastructure, which is a limiting factor for the further development
of air cargo transport. The traffic network within the catchment area of Franjo
Tudman Airport in Zagreb is not sufficiently interconnected, and therefore the
implementation of the rules of the single market within the transport sectors
is uneven. This paper aims to investigate the factors of intermodality of air
transport and other modes of transport, focusing on cases of infrastructure
integration in order to improve transport connectivity. The research analysed
several airports where increase in cargo traffic was influenced by the expanding
capacities and connectivity at the airport. By calculating the coefficient of
utilisation of the intermodal surfaces of the reference airports, it was
determined that the increase of these capacities does not necessarily lead to a
significant increase in air cargo transport. However, due to estimates of the
global growth of air cargo transport, an adequate and modernised infrastructure
gives an advantage of better positioning in the transport market compared to
those airports that do not have such resources. Based on the obtained results
and increased investment to improve rail speeds and intermodal accessibility,
the modular approach of expanding the infrastructure, through monitoring of
cargo transport utilisation coefficient, is considered sustainable.
Keywords: air-rail
intermodality, air freight, cargo city, intermodal integration
1. INTRODUCTION
All
airports have road access, which is the most developed and most important
traffic access to the airport. Larger airports also have rail connections to
the city or cities they serve, thereby solving bottlenecks near the airports by
using more types of transport (multimodal transport). They are either connected
to the railway network of the city, region, or country, or were built
exclusively to connect the airport and the city centre. The European Union has
over 400 airports with scheduled flights. Of the approximately 250 airports
serving more than a million passengers a year in Europe, 68 are directly
connected by rail [1]. Study [2] and report [3] have determined that in the
future the transport of cargo on shorter distances will be carried out entirely
by rail services. This is because the flight network is becoming increasingly
congested, and the expected further growth of aircraft operations will have an
additional negative impact on the environment. In addition to transporting
passengers, most airlines also provide cargo and mail services. The role of air
cargo is crucial for the trade of advanced industrial products, high-value
goods and other sectors that rely on fast, reliable, and safe transport. Air
freight represents less than 1% of global trade by tonnage, but air transport
carries more than US$ 6 trillion in goods yearly, representing more than 35% of
global trade by value [4]. Such a large difference between tonnage and value
reflects the unique position of air transport in transporting goods, which
often requires a high level of speed, reliability, and safety. This research
proposes findings and strategies for promoting the development and operation of
airports through the development of intermodal infrastructure and capacity for
air cargo transport. We have used six steps in our research methodology. The
first step was a literature review, focused on papers indexed in different
scientific databases. We find out that the number of papers that cover our
research goal is humble and do not cover the research topic of intermodal
transport between air and rail cargo transport. According to findings in the
literature, we have defined our research goal. The next step, the second one,
was to define intermodal transport within the European transport sector and
connect to a green policy of the European Union. Afterwards, follows the
identification of interoperability between air and rail cargo transport. The
fourth step was to introduce Indicators of capacity utilisation with which the
development model of the cargo terminal can be established. After that,
analysis of the results was made. To verify our research approach, we have made
a case study to develop Franjo Tudman airport in Zagreb.
2. AIR AND RAIL SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERMODALITY
Airport congestion will become an
increasing problem. Therefore, attention is focused on the possibilities of
meeting the demand for short-haul travel with high-speed rail services, whether
it is a passenger or air cargo. In the territory of the Republic of Croatia,
not a single airport is connected to the railway infrastructure, which is a
limiting factor for the further development of cargo air traffic. However,
their technical characteristics meet the highest traffic and safety standards
of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) [5]. The increasing
traffic intensity and the emerging disproportions in the development of
individual modes of transport cause that the European transport system becomes
overloaded. Therefore, an important premise for the development of transport
are the requirements of environmental protection, which affect the preference
of environmentally friendly branches and transport technologies like multimodal
or intermodal transport systems [6]. The airport's connection with the
surrounding cities through a branched network of national roads and highways
represents the potential for good traffic connections. Continued improvement of
existing road and rail connections directly favours further development of air
cargo transport and intermodal transport because they are located in the
immediate vicinity of the airport. Despite the fact that in terms of the amount
of transported cargo, Franjo Tudman Airport is far below the established EU
airports, the situation could change with a more dynamic approach to the
strategy of cargo transport development. This primarily refers to the emphasis
on quality of service, building a reliable infrastructure, developing a network
of routes, better utilising traffic connections with the railway network,
implementing new technology and consistent monitoring of European standards and
integrated management systems. Figure 1 [7] shows the airports in Europe with
the most loaded and unloaded cargo in 2021 and the comparison with cargo
traffic at Franjo Tudman Airport.
Fig. 1. Comparison of transshipped
cargo of the busiest airports in Europe in 2021
compared to Franjo Tudman Airport
Authors emphasize the importance of
specifically identifying the critical infrastructure of an integrated
intermodal network, which consists of three modes of land transportation:
highway, rail, and waterway [8]. The success of airport rail links depends on
many factors and local circumstances, but some key elements need to be
considered when planning airport rail connectivity. According to the Global
AirRail Alliance, an international organisation that promotes rail access to
airports, the following should be considered as best practices for rail-airport
connectivity: (1) location, (2) frequency, (3) time of travel, (4) cost of
travel, (5) ticket integration and (6) city check-in [9]. The same source
emphasises the importance of accessibility to the land side of the airport
through multimodal, intelligent and environmentally friendly integration with the
systems of Central Europe. The cargo capacity of passenger aircraft usually
accounts for 54% of the world's air cargo. Regarding Revenue Tone Kilometre
(RTK) growth, air cargo, including express traffic, is forecast to grow 4.1%,
while air mail will grow at a slower pace, averaging 1.7% in 2039. Overall,
world air cargo traffic will more than double in the next 20 years, from 264
billion RTK in 2019 to 578 billion RTK in 2039 [10]. Among the fastest growing
types of cargo are e-commerce products, which, according to the International
Air Transport Association (IATA) estimate, represent 15% of the total amount of
air cargo in 2019. The e-commerce trend experienced even greater growth in
2020, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, when an additional 18% growth was
recorded. The significant development of the airport is therefore not possible
without adequate infrastructure, with the infrastructure being planned in a
modular manner regarding the projections of traffic and economic growth. Many
major airports actively promote cargo because it creates additional jobs and
revenue for the airports. As stated earlier, more than half of all air cargo is
carried in the cargo compartment of scheduled airlines, and in most
circumstances, it would be challenging and ineffective to isolate cargo from
passenger operations. The study proposes a general framework for assessing
airport expansion and new development projects, as well as a methodology for
analysing the impact of one of the least understood and often neglected elements
of such a framework - connectivity [11]. Improved air connectivity is a key
element of economic growth and development through air cargo transport.
ICAO actively contributes to
improving connectivity in several areas by encouraging various initiatives
within this framework, as well as strengthening standards and recommended
practices. In order to optimise connectivity, a strong support framework is
needed. Among other elements, this framework includes market access and
liberalisation, optimal use of air navigation services, aircraft, and airport
systems, as well as improved facilitation procedures and security. The above is
essential for the full benefit of air connectivity and the realisation of
intermodal connections and the efficient operation of air carriers [12]. The
development of flight schedules and the offer of Franjo Tudman Airport for
different destinations in scheduled or charter traffic, as well as the
development of infrastructure and capacity, will determine the strategic
position in attracting passenger and cargo traffic in the future. Franjo Tudman
Airport is located at the intersection of the main road and rail corridors in
the territory of the Republic of Croatia, which together with air synergy
create all the preconditions for the development of a high-quality intermodal
transport system. The study [13] points out that the effects of traffic improvement
are broad, especially for large projects.
According to the EU document
"White Paper on transport 2011", all major airports in Europe should
be connected to the railway infrastructure by 2050. In the list of initiatives,
in the section related to airports, the document points to solving future
capacity problems, including better integration with the rail network. Zagreb
is the hub of European transport corridors. As mentioned earlier, Zagreb is
located at the intersection of the TEN-T core and comprehensive corridors,
which form crosses in west-east and north-south directions. The Study of the
development of the Zagreb railway junction, emphasizes the importance of the
position of the Zagreb railway hub, which is located at the traffic hub of
Western, Central and Southeastern European routes and the Adriatic Sea (Figure
2) [14]. Therefore, the Zagreb railway junction plays an extremely important
role because it is located at the intersection of corridors RH1 (DG - Savski
Marof - Zagreb - Dugo Selo - Novska - Vinkovci - Tovarnik - DG) and RH2 (DG -
Botovo - Koprivnica - Dugo Selo - Zagreb - Karlovac - Rijeka - Šapjane -
DG), but in addition to these corridors, railways from Split, Sisak (Sunje, Bosnia
and Herzegovina), Bjelovar (Osijek), Varaždin (Čakovec, Hungary) and
Krapina intersect in it. The Zagreb railway junction is connected to the TEN-T
Mediterranean Corridor via RH1 and RH2 corridors. Franjo Tudman Airport in
Zagreb is located next to the A3 highway (European route E65), which continues
to the TEN-T Mediterranean Corridor. At the distance of 1 kilometre from the
airport, the railway route M502 Zagreb Main Station - Sisak - Novska passes,
but a railway track does not connect the airport. At the distance of 4.6 km
from the airport, there is the Zagreb marshalling yard (Zagreb Ranžirni
kolodvor), which, along with the existing highway network, represents one of
the potentials for the development of intermodality at the airport. National
and international highway routes originate at the Zagreb ring road: A1 Zagreb -
Split, A2 Zagreb - Macelj, A3 Bregana - Zagreb - Lipovac, A4 Zagreb -
Goričan, A6 Zagreb - Rijeka and A11 Zagreb - Sisak (under construction).
Franjo Tudman Airport provides access not only to the city of Zagreb, but also
to other cities located in the functional region of Central Croatia. The
highway network in the Republic of Croatia in relation to the airport (Figure
3) [15]. In addition to domestic and international passenger traffic, regional
passenger and freight traffic, the Zagreb railway junction plays a very
significant role in the urban and suburban traffic of the City of Zagreb, but
its potential role is far greater. The city of Zagreb has almost 770,000
inhabitants, and together with the greater area (Zagreb County - 301,206),
about 1.1 million.
Fig. 2. Zagreb
railway junction
Fig. 3. The highway network in the
Republic of Croatia in relation to the airport
3. METHODS FOR ASSESSING INFRASTRUCTURE
CAPACITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AIRPORT FREIGHT TRAFFIC
The fundamental components of any
airport are its runway system, technical facilities, terminal buildings and
buildings for supporting services such as maintenance, warehouses, security,
land access system of roads, railways and parking, which together form a
strategic infrastructure for regional development. It is considered that
international transport links are a key factor when choosing the location of a
company's headquarters in Europe, as well as that the lack of good transport
connections (road, rail, …) significantly influenced the investment
decisions of companies in many countries [16].
3.1. Franjo Tudman Airport in the
function of intermodal connectivity
The Franjo Tudman Airport is
currently not connected to the railway network. However, the proximity of the
railway enables the quick connection of part of the land planned by the spatial
plan for the expansion of the airport's activities. Determining a suitable
location for an intermodal terminal is a critical element of the terminal
establishment process, a decision on which the functionality of the entire
intermodal freight distribution chain depends [17]. The development of
infrastructure through the implementation of the Zagreb Airport Cargo City project
involves the construction of modern infrastructure for reloading cargo,
runways, apron for cargo planes, parking lots for trucks and cars, access
roads, industrial railway tracks and other facilities for efficient cargo
ground handling. After the growth phase, terminals primarily competed by
expanding their capacity by offering value-added services (VAS). The impact of
the VAS offer on the terminal operational performance was analysed using a
generic System Dynamics model [18]. The main infrastructural elements for cargo
ground handling at airports are the technical and technological equipment of
the cargo terminal, adequate aircraft equipment for cargo handling and
equipment for loading and unloading trucks. The Franjo Tudman Airport does not
record major investments in the renewal of mechanisation or the introduction of
new technologies for cargo handling, and it can be concluded that it is a low
level of investment in the modernisation of freight transport technology. The
Franjo Tudman airport cargo terminal consists of a warehouse which is divided
into a departure area of 960 m2 and an arrival area of 1,200 m2.
The Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest is an example of how a cargo
transport development plan and associated infrastructure should look like.
According to the airport's official website, it has a newly built cargo
terminal of 21,600 m² with a high degree of automation and a warehouse
with offices for freight forwarders and logistics companies of 11,200 m2
surface area. When comparing the Franjo Tudman Airport with the previously
mentioned airport, it is clear that without a serious strategy for the
development of freight transport and for strengthening the infrastructure and
intermodal characteristics, the airport cannot be competitive in the
environment of the cargo handling market. In order to position Franjo Tudman
Airport as a competitive regional centre for the realisation of the Zagreb
Airport Cargo City project, it is necessary to invest significant funds in
infrastructure and supra infrastructure. The development of infrastructure
through implementation of the Zagreb Airport Cargo City project, which is
planned for the north-western part of the airport, in the triangle formed by
the Zagreb ring road, the railway from the marshalling yard and the airport's
runway, implies the construction of a modern cargo infrastructure [19]. The
term infrastructure here means the construction of a high-tech, fully
computerised, complex centralised system of cargo handling terminals (minimum
semi-automatic, preferably fully automatic) that will be able to handle special
and dangerous goods. Also, it is necessary to build a railway for intermodal
connection, which will connect the main railway route M502 Zagreb Main Station
- Sisak - Novska and the Franjo Tudman Airport zone itself (including Zagreb
Airport Cargo City) and to build a connection of Zagreb Airport Cargo City to
highway A3 (European route E65). From the aspect of the supra infrastructure,
and with the goal of competitiveness, it is necessary to modernise the existing
capacities of the cargo terminal (systems for consolidation and deconsolidation
of shipments, systems for palletising shipments and a new X-ray device in line
with the latest standards), as well as introduce RFID (Radio-Frequency
Identification) technology in order to increase the level of service quality.
Spatial plans of the cities located in the narrow gravitation area of the
Franjo Tudman Airport in Zagreb (Zagreb, Velika Gorica, Zaprešić, Dugo
Selo, Sv. Nedjelja and Samobor) envisage concrete measures to improve the
railway infrastructure. This primarily refers to the reconstruction and
upgrading of the existing infrastructure, which includes the construction of
additional tracks, stops, stations and sections with the aim of connecting the
airport to the rail transport system (Zagreb and Velika Gorica), which directly
contributes to intermodal connectivity. Intermodality, i.e. the integrated
transport system in the City of Zagreb and its greater area, will provide for a
more efficient, high-quality service. In terms of environment, energy and
safety, such a service will be much more acceptable than the current service,
ensuring full integration of different transport modes in the railway node. An
important driver of air cargo traffic is the industry located near airports.
Franjo Tudman Airport is located in
Zagreb, in the vicinity of a significant number of manufacturers of electrical
components, special vehicles and industrial equipment, pharmaceutical
companies, textile production companies and large distribution companies that
would also use air transport. In the last few years (2015-2021), more than
63,583 tons of cargo (freight and mail) were transported by air in the Republic
of Croatia, of which more than 90% relate to the loading and unloading of cargo
at Franjo Tudman Airport. In 2021 alone, 8,484 tons of cargo were transported,
which is almost 98% of the total transported cargo compared to other airports
in that year [7]. In the mentioned period, the airport did not have significant
cargo transport, except in relation to other airports in the Republic of
Croatia. Considering the airport's connection with the surrounding cities, the
branching of roads within the gravitation area, especially the highways located
on international corridors, and the continuity of traffic throughout the year,
the airport has positioned itself as the centre of air cargo transport compared
to other airports in the Republic of Croatia.
Despite different motivations, all
airports that participated in the study (2011) [20] support the idea that
intermodal concepts represent an important competitive advantage for an
airport. According to available traffic forecasts for Europe, the growth rate
of air cargo from 2020 to 2039 is estimated at an annual rate of 2.3% [21].
Flows of goods (annual volumes, frequencies, goods characteristics, etc.) that
can potentially be served as air cargo within the gravitation area of the
airport are the only realistic indicator for the positioning of Franjo Tudman
Airport in the air cargo market through the construction of the necessary
infrastructure for cargo ground handling (Zagreb Airport Cargo City). In the
following, several factors are analysed that are considered significant
indicators, which will determine the direction of the infrastructure capacity
development in relation to the targeted airports. The reference period for
observations and analysis of air cargo handling area factors, cargo volume and
utilisation indicators of tons per square meter (t/m²) is from 2015 to
2019 (no impact of COVID).
According to Eurostat, Franjo Tudman
Airport is far below the stated capacity for cargo transport of the observed
airports from Table 1 [7]. Throughout the entire observed period, there was no
increase in the area for handling air cargo. None of the other airports, except
Liszt Ferenc Airport in Budapest, and to a lesser extent Vienna Airport, had an
increase in surface areas in the observed period, but their existing capacities
are significantly larger than those of Franjo Tudman Airport.
Tab. 1
Capacities
of airports for intermodal freight transport (m2)
|
Airport |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
PRAHA/RUZYNE |
27,973 |
27,973 |
27,973 |
27,973 |
27,973 |
29,973 |
29,973 |
|
ZAGREB/FRANJO TUDMAN |
2,100 |
2,100 |
2,100 |
2,100 |
2,100 |
2,100 |
2,100 |
|
BUDAPEST/LISZT FERENC |
26,000 |
26,000 |
26,000 |
53,000 |
54,500 |
54,500 |
54,500 |
|
WIEN-SCHWECHAT |
23,116 |
23,116 |
25,807 |
25,807 |
25,807 |
25,807 |
25,807 |
|
BERGAMO/ORIO AL SERIO |
22,000 |
22,000 |
22,000 |
22,000 |
22,000 |
22,000 |
22,000 |
Franjo Tudman Airport has by far the
fewest tons of freight transhipment throughout the reference period, which is
not enough for a more serious positioning in the air freight transport market,
as summarized in Table 2 [7]. This situation points to the fact that the airport
does not have sufficient infrastructure for cargo ground handling, i.e.,
capacities, level equipment and an insufficiently developed network of
long-distance routes. Global trade is seen growing at 4.7% from 2020 to 2025
and 2.8% on average over the 20-year forecast period, with many of the
longer-term economic drivers reestablished after the near-term disruptions from
the pandemic subside [10].
Tab. 2
Air cargo
transport at selected airports (t)
|
Airport |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
PRAHA/RUZYNE |
50,521 |
71,029 |
81,750 |
82,460 |
85,397 |
52,641 |
62,447 |
|
ZAGREB/FRANJO TUDMAN |
7,113 |
7,651 |
9,487 |
11,894 |
10,833 |
7,646 |
8,484 |
|
BUDAPEST/LISZT FERENC |
65,783 |
77,535 |
87,277 |
101,411 |
95,590 |
88,872 |
125,823 |
|
WIEN-SCHWECHAT |
209,053 |
216,383 |
220,790 |
229,607 |
220,831 |
154,669 |
176,154 |
|
BERGAMO/ORIO AL SERIO |
120,952 |
117,660 |
125,857 |
122,026 |
119,041 |
51,505 |
26,024 |
3.3. Analysis of
indicators of capacity utilisation for cargo transport
In order to get a realistic picture
of the capacity utilisation of airports for cargo transport, according to the
above data, capacity utilisation indicators (kef) were calculated in
tons per square meter (t/m²) which is shown in formula 1.
The
average capacity utilisation in 2019 for all observed airports is 4.78 t/m².
According to the analysis, the Zagreb airport does not have such a bad
utilisation coefficient of tons per square meter (t/m²), considering the capacities for intermodal
cargo transport. The average value in 2019 is 5.16 t/m², thus positioning
the airport by 0.37 t/m² above the average of the surrounding airports
(although in 2019, a slight decrease in the coefficient was recorded compared
to 2018). The comparison of the coefficient of Franjo Tudman Airport with the
coefficient of Bergamo Airport shows that Franjo Tudman Airport has a very high
utilisation coefficient based on the current state of infrastructure capacity,
somewhere at the level of Bergamo Airport shown in Table 3, even though Bergamo
Airport has ten times more infrastructure capacity shown in Table 1 [7].
Tab. 3
Utilization
indicators t/m² in the period from 2015-2021 at selected airports
|
Airport |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
PRAHA/RUZYNE |
1.81 |
2.54 |
2.92 |
2.95 |
3.05 |
1.76 |
2.08 |
|
ZAGREB/FRANJO TUDMAN |
3.39 |
3.64 |
4.52 |
5.66 |
5.16 |
3.64 |
4.04 |
|
BUDAPEST/LISZT FERENC |
2.53 |
2.98 |
3.36 |
1.91 |
1.75 |
1.63 |
2.31 |
|
WIEN-SCHWECHAT |
9.04 |
9.36 |
8.56 |
8.90 |
8.56 |
5.99 |
6.83 |
|
BERGAMO/ORIO AL SERIO |
5.50 |
5.35 |
5.72 |
5.55 |
5.41 |
2.34 |
1.18 |
Despite the decline in cargo traffic in 2020
and 2021 shown in Table 2, Franjo Tudman Airport used its potential very well
and remained within the framework of the increase in cargo traffic in the
period shown. It is also important to note that Budapest Airport, after the
capacity expansion, recorded a significant drop in the utilisation coefficient.
The intermodal transport capacities of Budapest Airport in the period 2015-2019
increased by around 100%, while transported cargo increased by only 16%. Therefore,
it is unrealistic to expect a very sharp increase in transported cargo in a
year when surface capacities are increased. In order to rise to the coefficient
from 2017, the expected total annual volume of cargo transport of Budapest
Airport must be 183,120 tons. The increase is an average of 12,000 tons per
year, so Budapest Airport needs less than 4 years for the usable coefficient to
return to a level of the period before the increase. If the Budapest Airport
model were applied to the Zagreb Airport Cargo City project, it would include
building the additional 19,000 m² in the first phase, raising the
airport's capacity to 21,100 m². With the coefficient from 2019 (5.16),
that increase would maximise cargo traffic to 108,876 tons in the year.
Considering the calculation of the reduction of the coefficient as in
Budapest, from 3.36 to 1.91 (-43%), if such a model is applied to the Franjo Tudman
Airport, and the coefficient of 5.16 is reduced by 43%, a new utilisation
coefficient of 2.94 would be obtained. If this coefficient is applied to the
newly created area, an increase in freight traffic in the year after the
opening of 62,034 tons is obtained compared to 2019, when it was 10,833 tons,
which would amount to more than five times increase in freight traffic at the
airport.
The Zagreb Airport Cargo City project should
apply a modular approach to cargo capacity expansion in four phases. Each phase
of the project would consist of the construction of 5,000 m² for cargo
capacity needs within a period of 5 years. With this approach, within a period
of 20 years, the Zagreb Airport Cargo City project would reach the capacities
described in the Strategic Business Plan Zagreb Airport Cargo City Project,
Zagreb, February 2010 (update 2013) and return the investment in realistic time
frames. Following the coefficient of capacity utilisation for cargo transport,
through the increase in cargo transport by air transport, the set utilisation
goals of Cargo City become realistic and sustainable. Of course, the cargo flow
also depends on the type and size of the airport's route network and its
expansion plan. As already stated earlier, the cargo capacity of passenger
planes makes up more than 50% of the transported cargo, and in this sense, the
number of transported passengers and the number of destinations has a great
influence on the transport of cargo. In most cases, the cargo has higher value
and smaller dimensions and is transported over a distance of more than 800 km.
When it comes to combined passenger and cargo airlines, the cargo business
accounts for an average of 9% of airline revenue, which is more than double the
revenue from the first-class revenue segment [22]. However, with the
construction of the new Franjo Tudman Airport passenger terminal and
accompanying infrastructure (in 2013) and the planned modular development of
capacity expansion, given the expected forecasted growth in the number of
passengers, expectations in this regard are optimistic. In order to revitalize
a certain dysfunctional intermodal transport terminal, the study proposes a
methodology for connecting the terminal with the railway and road
infrastructure, the necessary quantification of the traffic potential, which
subsequently defines the operational need for transshipment equipment, and other
parameters of the basic elements of the terminal [23].
4. CONCLUSIONS
In this
paper, some of the international airports in the vicinity of Franjo Tudman
Airport were analysed, which, due to their infrastructure of intermodal
capacities and the amount of transported cargo and passengers, can serve as an
example for the future development of the concept of intermodal transport.
According to analysis, it can be concluded that the EU countries with the
largest amounts of cargo transported by air are more developed than the
average, compared to other EU countries, with strong IT industries, developed
auto industry and pharmaceuticals. Also, the existing airports have a developed
and modernised infrastructure and have a good and connected intermodal
transport infrastructure. The available literature points to different
approaches to the development of intermodal solutions in the development of
cargo transport by air, depending on the size of the country, business and
economic activity, and the condition and connectivity of the infrastructure.
This paper also analysed the connection of the existing transport
infrastructure with the TEN-T. It confirmed the continuity in the construction
of the necessary roads and the integration of the national road networks of the
Republic of Croatia into a single TEN-T network. Research shows - and this
especially applies to the airports that are not connected by railways - that several
factors should be considered when evaluating the integration of airports into
the railway network: primarily, a sufficient demand to justify adequate railway
frequencies, as well as infrastructural integration and sufficient offer of
long-haul flights from the airport to cover the demand and interest of
operators to offer intermodal products. This paper provides a comprehensive
overview of the problem of air cargo planning, which is seen in the lack of the
necessary infrastructure related to the capacities and integration of different
types of traffic. Therefore, the promotion of compatibility between different
types of transport for the ground handling of express mail and cargo through
the Zagreb Airport Cargo City project is of utmost importance for the economic
growth of air transport. Without an appropriate strategy for developing the
necessary infrastructure and modernizing the means of operation, there will be
no impact on competitiveness in competing airports. Thus, the existing location
in Zagreb combines air, road, rail, postal and long-term through the
navigability of the Sava River and river traffic, which is ideal from the point
of view of multimodality. It is expected that the results of this work will
provide better insight for the stakeholders and the authorities when planning
the development of the airport in terms of infrastructural and intermodal
improvements.
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Received 19.12.2022;
accepted in revised form 29.02.2023
Scientific Journal of Silesian University of Technology. Series Transport is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution 4.0 International License
[1] Croatian Civil Aviation Agency, Ul. Grada
Vukovara 284 Zagreb, Croatia. Email: jure.saric@ccaa.hr.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7688-4744
[2]
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, Borongajska
cesta 83a, Zagreb, Croatia. Email: avidovic@fpz.unizg.hr.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8430-6469
[3]
Zagreb Airport Ltd. Rudolfa Fizira 1, p.p. 102, Velika Gorica, Croatia. Email: istimac@zagreb-airport.hr. ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5615-5499
[4]
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, Borongajska
Cesta 83a, Zagreb, Croatia. Email: babramovic@fpz.unizg.hr.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8675-5778