Aviation Week Network used the bustling stage of Routes World 2025 to launch something that may not leave the runway but could reshape how airports read their markets in a city that has seen its fair share of take-offs.
The Catchment Analyser is a deceptively simple name for a remarkably smart new platform. Designed to reveal what’s happening in an airport’s backyard, it gives route development teams granular insight that makes even the most seasoned data analyst sit up a little straighter.
The platform isn’t just another dashboard, either. It’s the culmination of Aviation Week’s long-standing knack for turning data into business intelligence that actually means something. The company, already trusted by aviation insiders across the globe, has now turned that expertise into a polished, accessible online tool that anyone from a regional airfield to a global hub can use to gauge its true market potential.
“The introduction of this Catchment Analyzer demonstrates our dedication to delivering the aviation industry’s most sophisticated and thorough market intelligence, while simultaneously driving our innovation capabilities forward,” said Aidan Mooney, Vice President of ASM Global Route Development Consultants, part of Aviation Week Network.
A Tool With Altitude
So, what does it actually do? Think of it as a magnifying glass over an airport’s catchment area. The Catchment Analyser identifies exactly where passengers are coming from, where they’re flying to, and more importantly, where they’re sneaking off to instead.
Among its features:
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Pinpointing passenger demand by route, both outbound and inbound.
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Revealing traffic leakage to competing airports with postcode-level accuracy.
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Mapping visitor origins, helping marketing teams spend less and target better.
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Comparing market share between airports, side by side.
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Offering detailed insights by operating an airline to strengthen route development proposals.
In other words, it’s the kind of intelligence airports have wanted for decades, wrapped up in a user-friendly interface that even the most Excel-weary analyst can love.
Why It Matters
For years, airports have had to rely on patchy data, hopeful hunches, and PowerPoint charm when pitching new routes to airlines. The Catchment Analyser replaces guesswork with clarity. It shows where an airport’s opportunities lie and just as importantly, where it’s losing out.
The implications are considerable. With hard evidence, a regional airport can now prove that it’s losing passengers to a neighbouring hub — or demonstrate untapped potential for a direct service to, say, Singapore or Doha. For an industry still rebuilding its networks post-pandemic, such insight is gold.
“With this launch, we’re giving the industry a way to see the full picture not just the statistics,” Mooney added. “It’s about empowering airports to make smarter, faster, and more confident decisions.”
Aviation Week Keeps Its Lead
Aviation Week Network has long been a fixture of the aviation intelligence world. This move is reaffirming its status as the industry’s go-to for data that drives outcomes. The Catchment Analyser blends decades of credibility with today’s hunger for instant, visual insight.
It’s available now, with no fanfare and no waiting lists. Those who’ve seen the demonstration say it’s changing how airports think about their markets.
For details or a closer look, visit aviationweek.com/catchment.
By Jason Smith
BIO:
Jason Smith has the kind of story you can’t fake — one built on long flights, new cities, and that unmistakable hum of hotel life that gets under your skin and never quite leaves. Half American, half Asian, he grew up surrounded by the steady rhythm of the tourism trade in the U.S., where his family helped others see the world long before he did.
Eager to carve out his own path, Jason packed his bags for Bangkok and the Asian Institute of Hospitality & Management, where he majored in Hotel Management and found not just a career, but a calling. From there came years on the road — Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam each stop adding another thread to his craft.
In Thailand, he made his mark, eventually becoming the Director of Sales for one of the country’s leading hotel chains. Then came COVID-19, which closed borders, grounded flights, and began a new chapter.
Back home in America, Jason turned his knack for connection into words, joining Global Travel Media to tell the stories behind the check-ins written with the same warmth and honesty that have always defined him.
