Evolution and Determinants of an Air Transport Network: A Case Study of the Chinese Main Air Transport Network

Abstract

The Chinese main air transport network (CMATN) is the framework for air passenger transport in the country. This study uses complex networks and an econometric model to analyze CMATN’s evolution and determinants. In terms of overall network structure, the network has always shown small-world properties, with smaller average path lengths (2.06–2.15) and larger clustering coefficients (0.68–0.77), while its cumulative degree distribution follows an exponential function. City passenger volumes conform to the degree power law function, which means that the more destinations a city connects to, the higher its passenger traffic will be. In major hub cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, control power decreases, while Chengdu, Kunming, Chongqing, Xi’an, Urumqi, and other cities play an increasingly important role in CMATN. In terms of main route passenger volumes and formation, increases in GDP and tourism have had a promoting effect, while high-speed rail (HSR) poses a threat to overlapping routes. CMATN is primarily located in the central and eastern regions, focusing on China’s economy, tourism, and efficient HSR development. Although the competition from HSR affects the overall network structure of CMATN based on its influence on specific routes, we believe that the impact is limited due to the different transport attributes of the two networks. The research results of this study can become an information source for decision makers and provide a reference for air transport to seek sustainable development.

A study on the evaluation of competitiveness in the aviation logistics industry cluster in Zhengzhou

“…The two complement and couple each other to form competitive advantages, ultimately promoting the formation of the logistics industry cluster. Thus, the three together constitute the foundation of core competitiveness [22][23][24][25][26] .…”

“…Secondly, advances in technology such as e-commerce, big data, artificial intelligence, and vehicle networking accelerate the construction of logistics information system platforms, promote the intelligent and networked development of logistics equipment, and improve the efficiency of logistics industry and supply chain operations. Therefore, technological innovation constitutes the "engine" of core competitiveness [23][24][25][26][27] .…”

Evolution of Air Transport Networks under Different Airline Business Models: The Case of Three Chinese Airlines

“…Some studies primarily focus on the static state of ATNs within one year under different spatial levels: the worldwide level [4][5]; the regional level for Europe [6][7]; and the national level e.g., India [8], Italy [9], US [10] and China [11][12][13]. Other studies are interested in the historical evolution of ATNs [14][15][16][17]. Findings from their research can be summarized as follows: First, almost all types of ATNs examined were small-world networks with scalefree properties.…”

Investigating the Accessibility between Civil Airports and Tourist Locations in Tourist Cities in Yunnan Province, China

“…a ij (7) where a ij = 1 when a flight link exists between node i and node j and a ij = 0 otherwise. C C max = max C C i ; here, C C i is the closeness centrality and refers to the inverse of the average shortest distance from node i to all others, i.e.,…”

“…Air transport, the fastest way for transporting tourists to their destination cities, plays an extremely important role in tourist travel activities [1]. In recent years, with the booming global tourism industry, airports have become strategic assets for supporting sustainable tourism strategies and generated increasingly important implications for local tourism development [2][3][4][5][6][7]. In particular, air travel is the only way for tourists to access cities in relatively remote locations due to the difficulty in constructing transport infrastructures such as high-speed rail networks and expressway networks.…”