Complex network analysis of the Turkish domestic airport system and comparison with worldwide practices

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a holistic insight into the performance of the Turkish air transportation network through complex network analysis. While many countries' airport network structures and performances have been widely studied, the rapidly growing Turkish airport structure still needs to be adequately analyzed. Therefore, this paper evaluates the structural properties of the Turkish domestic aviation network from 2012 to 2020 and compares it with worldwide practices.Design/methodology/approach: To evaluate the topological properties of the Turkish airport system, this study utilized five complex network metrics: average degree, diameter, average path length, clustering coefficient, modularity, and density index.Findings: The findings indicate that the Turkish domestic aviation network has a smaller diameter, lower average path length, decreasing clustering coefficient, and lower modularity compared to worldwide practices, which implies low robustness and flexibility. The pandemic has increased the unique paths, density index, and average degree, which implies more connectivity among airports, possibly due to mandatory flights.Practical implications: The analysis of complex networks can help evaluate network characteristics and understand their influence on the Turkish domestic network. The long-term evaluation of the airports' topological properties provides valuable insights into their structural resilience, operational efficiency, and potential for network optimization.Originality/value: This study is the first to analyze the topological structure of the Turkish airport system and compare it with worldwide practices. Moreover, it sheds light on the effects of the pandemic on airport network structure.