The air-filled or pneumatic tire consists of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Normally, a reinforced steel belted tread or other kind of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
The tire would remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, as the air pressure inside the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air in the tire provides resistance against forces that attempt 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 makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with disadvantages. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for instance, these tires can suffer a puncture and this would lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car accident. Military planners need to consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or shooting 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 obviously don't suffer from these issues and thus, might be more suitable in certain applications.
The pneumatic tire may have problems as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure inside a tire could increase the traction and the comfort level. This is due to the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The pressure of the air inside of the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Thus, reduced air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. This results in 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 correct air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Wrong air pressure within tires could lead to really unsafe situations. It is really vital to note that pneumatic tires are susceptible to temperature changes too, which could be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really vital to take into consideration the kind of environments you will be needing your equipment to operate in so that you can inspect the tires regularly and keep the machinery as safe as possible.