A pneumatic or air-filled tire is composed on an inner core that is sealed airtight and filled with pressurized air. Normally, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact part with the road.
The tire will remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, since the pressure of the air within the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air inside 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 could make.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for example, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car crash. Military planners need to take into consideration tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or shooting of guns. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped within a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these kind of problems and thus, in some applications, could be more suitable.
The pneumatic tire might have issues as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. 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 placed in contact with the road. The air pressure in the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Hence, reduced air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. This leads to poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other problems also. With regards to to maintaining proper air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Incorrect air pressure inside tires could result in really unsafe situations. It is important to keep in mind 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 settings you would be needing your equipment to operate in so that you could regularly inspect the tires and keep the equipment as safe as possible.