Does Spatial Dispersal Continue Post-Financial Crisis? Analysis of Global Air Transport Network 2011-2015

Abstract

Economic performance of a city (or region) and its air travel capability are deemed as interlocked in the modern age. It is thus important for planners and stakeholders to understand the changes of the global air transport network. This paper uses a mixed approach, by utilizing both the topological metrics and volume-embedded tools, to examine the global aviation network between 2011 and 2015. With sophisticated demarcation of the concentration concept, the research reconfirms the trend in recent literature that suggested a dispersal pattern in the global aviation network. Furthermore, with the development of an “airport centrality index”, the paper provides evidence consistent with the bypassing of traditional hubs, especially among the mega-hubs. Competition for connecting passengers among mega- and major-hubs is also discussed.