A pneumatic or air-filled tire consists of an inner core which is sealed airtight and filled with pressurized air. Usually, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
The tire will remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, since the pressure of the air in the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure inside the tire gives resistance against forces which attempt to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect when the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you know how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Surely, there are some drawbacks to pneumatic tires. Like for instance in highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will result in a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could lead to a serious car accident. Military planners should take into account tires getting blown out by shooting of guns or explosion shrapnel. 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 type 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 inside a tire can increase the traction and the comfort level. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is touching the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Therefore, reduced air pressure enables the sidewalls of the tires to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other issues with air pressure. Consumers are notoriously undependable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires that have wrong air pressure could result in dangerous situations. It is important to note that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, that can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is very vital to consider the type of environments you will be requiring your machinery to operate in so that you could inspect the tires on a regular basis and keep the equipment as safe as possible.