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Global airline networks and nodal regions

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Abstract

Transportation infrastructure has always played an important role in the economic fate of regions. In particular, airline networks have dramatically decreased the geographic and temporal constraints of moving people, goods and information; all of which are increasingly crucial inputs for the information economy. As a result, regions have become more concerned with both the quantity and quality of airline connections. The purpose of this paper is to examine the emerging global hierarchy of airline network connectivity. Using a proprietary database of nearly 900 airline carrier schedules from 2006, we examine regional connectivity between 4,650 worldwide origins and destinations. Through the use of network analysis and graph theoretical techniques, results indicate an increasingly complex web of nodal hierarchies in North America, Europe and Asia.

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Notes

  1. The FAA defines large or “major” markets as those that capture 1% or more of total US enplaned passengers.

  2. The Boeing 747 is typically configured to carry between 416 and 524 passengers while the 777 carries between 301 and 365 (Boeing 2007).

  3. One exception to this might be the MIDT database used by Derudder and Witlox (2005b). Using a sample of 3.7 million trips derived from a global distribution system database, a relatively large connectivity matrix can be constructed. However, given the seasonality of airline service, particularly to tourist destinations, temporally limited samples (e.g., January–August) might not account for all scheduled service between city-pairs for the year.

  4. The slight discrepancy between these values is due to how the data were summarized in the SRS database.

  5. An in-depth discussion on the N–D method including implementation issues, statistical tests, criticisms, as well as references to studies employing the method can be found in Tinkler (1988).

  6. Flows below 50 flights per week and 5000 seats per week are masked for cartographic presentation.

  7. Focus cities are locations where airlines do not operate a hub, but offer non-stop flights to multiple destinations other than operation hubs.

  8. A similar hierarchical relationship between Chicago and California was noted by Cates (1978) using 1973 OAG data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Indiana University, Student Building 120, 701 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Tony H. Grubesic

  2. Center for Urban and Regional Analysis, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Timothy C. Matisziw

  3. Department of Geography, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA

    Matthew A. Zook

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  1. Tony H. Grubesic
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  2. Timothy C. Matisziw
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  3. Matthew A. Zook
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Correspondence to Tony H. Grubesic.

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Grubesic, T.H., Matisziw, T.C. & Zook, M.A. Global airline networks and nodal regions. GeoJournal 71, 53–66 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-008-9117-0

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