The geographic reach of the airport's service area defines the airport's ______ area.

• A. Catchment area
• B. Service area
• C. Coverage area
• D. Market area

Answer: (A)

The main idea is catchment area—the geographic region from which an airport draws its passengers. This area reflects how far travelers are willing to go to use that airport, influenced by distance, travel time, and the availability of competitive options. Understanding the catchment area helps estimate demand, plan routes, and target marketing efforts. Other terms exist in different contexts, but they don’t describe the origin-based reach of demand as precisely as catchment area.