Air transport and high speed train competition: A comparative analysis in selected routes

Abstract

Along with the development of technology, high speed trains has become a serious threat to air transport. There are different discussions on these two transportation modes which may be expressed as substitutes for each other, especially in the medium and short distances as opponents of each other or as complementary transport modes. In this study, 8 city pairs will be examined and the number of passengers, the seat offered, the annual frequency and the occupancy rates will be examined on the basis of the years 2012-2015, both of which are indicated as the main starting-point of origin in which both high-speed trains and airline companies operate. In the analysis process, values related to before and after will be compared based on the entry of the high speed train in the mentioned city pairs. The results of the study show that the number of airline passengers continued to increase with the launch of the high-speed train, while there is a decrease or an increase at flight frequencies and occupancy rates on some city pairs.