Robustness and Edge Addition Strategy of Air Transport Networks: A Case Study of “the Belt and Road”

Abstract

Air transportation is of great importance in ''the Belt and Road'' (the B&R) region. The achievement of the B&R initiative relies on the availability, reliability, and safety of air transport infrastructure. A fundamental step is to find the critical elements in network performance. Considering the uneven distributions of population and economy, the current literature focusing on centrality measures in unweighted networks is not sufficient in the B&R region. By differentiating power and centrality in the B&R region, our analysis leads to two conclusions: (1) Deactivating powerful nodes causes a larger decrease in efficiency than deactivating central nodes. This indicates that powerful nodes in the B&R region are more critical than central nodes for network robustness. (2) Strategically adding edges between high powerful and low powerful nodes can enhance the network's ability to exchange resources efficiently. These findings can be used to adjust government policies for air transport configuration to achieve the best network performance and the most cost effective.INDEX TERMS Power, robustness, network performance, air transport, ''the Belt and Road''.

Analysis of Network Robustness in Weighted and Unweighted Approaches: A Case Study of the Air Transport Network in the Belt and Road Region

“…e results were consistent with those of the previous studies where the nodes with high betweenness centrality were critical, especially in terms of shortest path length and global efficiency [43,44]. As for network robustness in the weighted approach, nodes ranking in recursive power sequence have been identified as critical in the preservation of network functionalities [23].…”

“…Recent measurements in a weighted approach have been conducted by considering link weight [20,21]. Other studies identified the key nodes through a weighted approach by introducing Bonacich power centrality [16], heterogeneous degrees [22], and recursive centrality and power [23]. However, what has rarely been noticed is the gap in the ability of weighted and unweighted approaches to preserve network functionalities.…”

“…One weighted network is the air transport network in the Belt and Road (B&R), where flights and routes are distributed unevenly [23]. Interest in the B&R initiative has grown since 2013 when it was first proposed.…”

Evaluating recovery strategies for the disruptions in liner shipping networks: a resilience approach

“…Since then, this measure has been widely used in different types of transport networks, including urban road networks (Sergio et al, 2006), subway networks (Vito and Massimo, 2002), and airline transport networks (Zhang et al, 2019). It suits the topic of this research well.…”

Determinants of Intercity Air‐Passenger Flows in the “Belt and Road” Region

“…Beyond these, a predominant focus has been on facilitating infrastructure connectivity which promotes the transport, energy, and communication infrastructure, forming a network connecting all the subregions within Asia and between the Asian, European, and African countries. Within this infrastructure connectivity, air-transportation infrastructure has linked even remote and inaccessible geographic locations and fostered intercity relations [2][3][4]. us, air transportation could immensely aid developing countries by unlocking the potential of trade and tourism.…”