Keywords
air transport
airports
Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)
Malmquist Productivity Index
How to Cite
Abstract
The aim of the article is to provide a comparative assessment of the technical efficiency of airports in European Union capitals for 2019 and 2024 using Data Envelopment Analysis and the Malmquist productivity index. The results indicate a high level of operational efficiency among the airports analyzed, with most units achieving full technical efficiency, and the average efficiency increased over the years. The Malmquist index analysis indicates heterogeneous productivity dynamics driven by changes in both technical efficiency and technological progress. The analysis reveals no significant relationship between the technical efficiency scores and the airports' environmental performance, as measured by their Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) levels. This suggests that improvements in the utilisation of airport infrastructure do not automatically translate into enhanced ecological maturity, and that the two dimensions of performance currently evolve largely independently. The results may support airport management and public decision-makers in rational resource allocation, in reducing environmental pressures, and in planning investments aligned with the objectives of sustainable development and EU climate policy.
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