A GIS-AHP-based Decision Support Model for Optimal Airport Site Selection for Vizianagaram District

Abstract

The selection of an optimal site for a new airport is a complex, multi-criteria decision-making process that requires integration of spatial, environmental, and socio-economic factors. This study presents a GIS-AHP-based decision support model for identifying the most suitable location for an airport in Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh. Various thematic layers, such as land use and land cover, slope, soil classifications, connectivity to roads and railways, water bodies, and landfills, were developed and analyzed using geographic information system techniques. The AHP method was applied to assign weights to each criterion through pairwise comparison, reflecting their relative importance in airport site suitability. The weights overlay analysis generated a composite suitability map that categorized the district into highly suitable, moderately suitable, and low-suitable zones of airport development. The result indicates that the central and south-eastern regions of Vizianagaram possess highly suitable conditions due to favourable topography, accessibility, and minimal environmental constraints. The proposed GIS-AHP framework offers a scientific approach to support decision-making and planning the site suitability for an airport for regional infrastructural development.