A pneumatic or air-filled tire is composed on an inner core which is sealed airtight and filled with pressurized air. Normally, a reinforced steel belted tread or other kind of materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
Since the air pressure 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 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you understand precisely 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 example, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will result in a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car accident. Military planners have to take into account tires getting blown out by gunfire or explosion shrapnel. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped within a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these issues and hence, may be more suitable in some applications.
The pneumatic tire might have issues as well with the variation in tire performance and air pressure. The lower pressure in a tire may 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 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. Hence, less air pressure enables the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other problems with air pressure. Consumers are notoriously undependable when it comes to maintaining correct air pressure. Tires which have improper air pressure could lead to unsafe situations. It is important to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, which could be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is very important to take into consideration the type of environments you would be requiring your machinery to operate in so that you can check the tires regularly and keep the machine as safe as possible.