Thesis (MScEng (Civil Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aviation industry is an extremely dynamic industry where all stakeholders need to ensure that the operational margins are clearly identified and adhered to. Failure to actively and continuously streamline operations might cause almost immediate negative effects to a firm. Or in the worst case, might even cause overnight insolvency and closure. Just as for the other stakeholders it is equally important to the Airport Operating Authority to be able to offer to its clients all required operational systems. In order to be able to make an operational profit, it is important that the Airport Operating Authority does not waste scarce resources on maintaining oversized components within these systems. The components of these systems are all intertwined and most play an important role in the smooth running of the operations of the airport as a whole. It is clear that, if one of these components is optimised, it should optimise the system it forms part of which again should be beneficial to the airport-operational system as a whole. In an effort to be able to identify those components that will have the biggest overall effect on airport operations, it is proposed that the method of Analytic Hierarchy Process be used. This method allows one to compare components that, under normal circumstances, is considered to be incomparable. In other words, the AHP allows you to compare apples with oranges. Once these components are identified, one can use quantitative methods like regression analysis to identify a more optimum solution. This strategy does not promise a golden answer to operational problems but will assist an airport authority eager to have as lean as possible operations. It can be concluded that the strategy of identification, through utilisation of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and optimisation, through Quantative Methods, affords the analyst a systematic approach to increase financial viability and sustainability of an airport which may otherwise place a tremendous load on limited resources. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die lugvaart industrie is ‘n ongelooflike dinamiese industrie waar alle rolspelers ‘n baie fyn oorsig moet hê, en behou, rakende hul bedryfs marge. Die gebrek aan gedurige verfyning van bedryfs-hulpbronne kan ‘n onmiddelike nadelige effek op die rolspeler se bedryfs-marge hê. Dit het in die verlede al gelei tot die skielike bankrotskap en ondergang van gevestigde firma. Net soos die ander rolspelers in die industrie, is dit vir die Lughawe Owerheid ook belangrik om die benodigde sisteme daar te stel sodat verwagte dienste gelewer kan word. Maar op dieselfde toon is dit nodig dat die Lughawe Owerheid nie skaars hulpbronne spandeer op die onderhouding van oorbodige of onnodige groot komponente van die onderskeie sisteme nie. Die onderskeie komponente van die verskeie sisteme is meestal op een of ander manier onderling afhanklik en ondersteunend van mekaar. Dit is egter duidelik dat, sou een van die komponente geoptimiseer word, dit ‘n positiewe uitwerking op die betrokke sisteem in geheel sou hê asook op die globale lughawe bedryfs-sisteem. Dit is dus belangrik om daardie komponente wat die grootste impak op die onderskeie sisteme sal hê, te identifiseer. Om dit te doen word dit voorgestel dat van die Analitiese Hierargiese Proses (AHP) gebruik te maak. Hierdie proses laat toe dat komponente wat nie dieselfde eienskappe het nie wel vergelyk kan word sodat ‘n onderskeid en hierargie geskep kan word. Sodra die komponente geidentifiseer is wat die grootste uitwerking op die verskillende sisteme sal hê, kan ‘n meer optimale oplossing gesoek word deur die gebruik van kwantitatiewe metodes soos byvoorbeeld Regressie Analiese. Dit is dus duidelik dat die strategie van identifisering, deur gebruik van die “AHP”, en optimisering, deur kwantitatiewe metodes, die analis ‘n werktuig gee om op ‘n gestruktureerde manier die lewensvatbaareid van ‘n lughawe te verhoog wat andersins groot druk plaas op skaars hulpbronne.