An air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed on an inner core which is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Usually, a reinforced steel belted tread or other materials, provides the contact part with the road and seals this inner core.
Because the pressure of the air in the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with a vehicles' weight resting on it. The air pressure in the tire provides resistance against forces that try to deform the tire. When the tire hits bumps in the road, this gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect. If you have ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you understand exactly how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires can make.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for instance, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will result in a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a dangerous car accident. Military planners have to consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or firing of guns. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these problems and thus, in certain applications, can be more suitable.
The pneumatic tire may have problems as well with the variation in tire performance and air pressure. The lower pressure in a tire could increase the comfort level and the traction. This is due to the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is touching the road. The pressure of the air in the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Therefore, less air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. This leads to poor handling unfortunately. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other problems too. When it comes to maintaining proper air pressure, consumers are notoriously unreliable. Improper air pressure within tires can lead to very unsafe situations. It is essential to note that pneumatic tires are also susceptible to temperature changes, that could be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is important to take into account the kind of environments you would be requiring your equipment to function in so that you could frequently check the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.