Evaluation of Operational Performance of Major European International Airports with Data Envelopment

This paper studies the impact of air logistics and transportation on the operational efficiency of 10 major European International Airports over the 2021–2023 period using the Data Envelope Analysis (DEA) method, which is solved using MAXDEA 8 software. For this purpose, a literature review was carried out to identify the input and output variables used in analysing the operational efficiency of airport logistics. In this study, the input variables include the airport's area, cargo terminal area, the number of passenger terminals, and the number of runways, while the output variables are the number of flights, the number of passengers, and amount of cargo are used. The DEA model provides the most efficient results in terms of output-oriented maximization. The performance of each airport is compared to others, and the efficiency rate for each airport is evaluated. The study identifies the effective airports, their reference points relative to others, and assesses how much improvement is needed for ineffective airports to enhance their outputs. As a result of this application, it was concluded that the operational efficiency of airports is effective or ineffective according to air logistics and transportation activities. As a result of this study, it was revealed that the operational efficiency of 8 of 10 major international airports in the 2021-2023 period was effective, and only 2 of them (Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid) were ineffective. While two inefficient airports could have produced more output by better utilizing their potential with the same input amounts, they made less output where they were located. The study identifies relative efficiency levels across airports and highlights internal performance differences. Furthermore, the discussion addresses the influence of external factors such as geopolitical events, environmental policies, and technological innovations, offering deeper insights into the drivers of airport performance. The findings contribute to strategic airport management by highlighting both internal and external dimensions of efficiency.