A pneumatic or air-filled tire is composed on an inner core which is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Typically, a reinforced steel belted tread or other materials, provides the contact part with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire will remain inflated with all the vehicle's weight resting on it, because the air pressure in the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air in the tire provides resistance against forces which try to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect as 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 huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires could make.
Of course, there are some disadvantages to pneumatic tires. Like for example in high-performance situations or highly dangerous applications, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will result in a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car accident. Military planners must take into account 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 due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these type of problems and thus, in some applications, might be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have one more issue involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure can create increased comfort and improved traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is touching the road. The pressure of the air inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Thus, less air pressure allows the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other problems also. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Wrong air pressure within tires could result in very dangerous situations. It is essential to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes too, that can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is very vital to consider the kind of settings you would be requiring your machine to function in so that you could frequently check the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.