Air Service Development (ASD) is the strategic, data-driven process BWI Marshall Airport uses to retain current routes and attract new airlines or destinations. Think of it as the “business case” for our airport. We need to actively prove to airlines that flying to BWI Marshall is profitable and sustainable.

When we gain a new route, the whole region wins.
• Economic Impact: New routes create jobs, not just at the airport, but in hospitality, tourism, and local businesses.
• Connectivity: More nonstop routes means less travel time and more time at your destination.
• Competitive Fares: More airlines competing for your business often leads to lower ticket prices for everyone.

ASD is a team sport. It requires collaboration between:
• The Airport (BWI Marshall): We provide the terminal and airfields to meet airline needs. We also provide economic and travel data to help with airline decision making.
• The Airlines: They utilize the data the airport provides to make the final decisions.
• Community Partners: Chambers of Commerce, Tourism Boards, and Economic Development Corporations provide assistance in securing new routes and supporting existing routes.
• You: The traveler whose demand drives the entire system.

Commercial airlines are under intense pressure to maximize returns, so they only fly where the revenue potential is high. Our corporate and community partners are the key to tipping that scale. By clearly demonstrating a concentrated and ready-to-travel passenger base, they provide the proof of revenue required to help win the competition for new routes. While BWI Marshall works tirelessly to pitch Baltimore as a premier gateway, airlines are private businesses that make the final call based on how a destination fits into their global network. Our job is to provide them with high-quality data and a persuasive business case that they need to choose Maryland over other regions.

Attracting a new route isn’t an overnight success; it’s a cycle that often takes many years.
1. Market Analysis: The airport conducts an evaluation of neighboring community travel patterns (i.e. routes, airport distance etc.).
2. The Business Case: The airport develops a data-driven analysis for an airline, showing them the untapped financial potential in our market.
3. Negotiation: While the FAA limits the scope of airport-provided support, BWI Marshall engages in strategic negotiations to advocate for the region’s interests. We leverage market data and community demand to build a business case that reduces an airline's perceived risk, positioning our market as the most viable destination for their limited resources.
4. Launch and Support: Once a route starts, the work doesn't stop. The community plays a significant role to ensure the flights stay full, to promote a sustainable route in our network.

• For Travelers: Fly Local. The most impactful thing you can do is check BWI Marshall first. When you choose BWI Marshall over other regional airports, you are voting with your ticket, telling airlines that demand here is strong.
• For Corporate and Community Partners: Providing your company’s travel needs and priorities help the airport build the business case that the state of Maryland can sustain the commercial service.

Air service development is a continuous effort. While airline schedules change seasonally, our team is always at work attending conferences, partnering with airline planners, and analyzing shifting travel patterns to ensure BWI Marshall remains a top-tier gateway.

To understand ASD, it helps to speak the language:
• O&D (Origin and Destination): Passengers who start or end their journey at BWI Marshall, as opposed to Connecting Passengers.
• Load Factor: The percentage of an airline’s capacity that passengers are using (e.g., 85% full).
• Catchment Area: The geographic neighborhood BWI Marshall serves. This region includes all of Maryland, plus parts of D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
• Leakage: This phenomenon occurs when a traveler who lives in our catchment area drives to a different airport outside of the catchment area or region. One of our main goals is to plug the leak by offering better local options.
• Hub and Spoke: Like a bicycle wheel. A “hub” is a central airport where an airline connects passengers to many different “spoke” cities. BWI Marshall, while classified as a Large Hub airport based on its passenger volume, is primarily an origin and destination airport, meaning most of its travelers are starting or ending their journey here, not just passing through.
• Point-to-Point: Nonstop flights between two cities without a connection. This is the model most preferred by travelers.
• Incentives: Based on the regulations of the federal government, the airport can provide financial waivers to mitigate the initial risk of launching new routes.