Service Operations Research Articles

Barriers and opportunities for developing, implementing and operating inclusive digital mobility services

As digital mobility services increasingly reshape the transportation landscape, offering a multitude of choices for users, a significant lack of equality emerges: vulnerable-to-exclusion groups are often left behind, unable to equally access digital transport services. This study investigates the opportunities to create inclusive and accessible digital mobility services, based on the viewpoints of developers, operators, and policy makers. Through 32 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, we look into the existing regulatory frameworks, the extent of user involvement in service (re-)development, considerations for data protection and privacy for vulnerable groups, and the financial aspects supporting the development and operation of inclusive digital transport services. A thematic content analysis reveals a complex challenge: a lack of effective communication, collaboration, and co-creation across the majority of services, in combination with a widespread failure to disseminate insights among stakeholders, resulting in a lack of knowledge about vulnerable-to-exclusion groups. Despite a general awareness of the importance of inclusive design, actionable steps to achieve inclusive digital services remain scarce, with only a handful of services actively pursuing these goals. Our findings push for a comprehensive approach that enhances clear communication, stakeholder collaboration, and promotes the co-creation of services, while also protecting vulnerable users' data and thereby bridging the accessibility gap to ensure that the benefits of digital mobility extend to all users, including those most at risk of exclusion.

A decade of operations strategy: research issues and future research directions

Purpose This study aims to systematically review the literature on operations strategy to understand its role in fostering competitive advantage. The literature on operations strategy was summarized using bibliometric analysis, network analysis and content analysis techniques. The bibliometric approaches analyzed 1,070 articles published between January 2013 and December 2023. Additionally, it is supplemented through content analysis by analyzing 60 selected articles in depth. The review identified six major research themes in operations strategy: impact of supply chain integration on operational performance, outsourcing and resource-based view, lean strategy, service operations strategy, operations capabilities and responsive supply chain strategy. The review offers a comprehensive overview of current research and highlights potential areas for future exploration, providing valuable guidance for scholars and practitioners in operations strategy. Also, the review provides insights for operations managers that can be applied to develop effective strategies across various industrial contexts. Design/methodology/approach The main objective of a literature review is to analyze the body of existing knowledge, identify possible research gaps and propose future research avenues (Tranfield et al., 2003). Searching for relevant keywords, discovering pertinent information and then completing the analysis are expected in systematic literature reviews. Tranfield et al. (2003) have provided the guidelines to conduct the literature review in a systematic way, which scholars in the business and management domains increasingly adopt. It consists of three stages as follows: planning the review; conducting the review; and reporting and dissemination. The present study uses these guidelines to organize the literature on operations strategy. Findings This work provides several theoretical and managerial implications by offering a thorough and methodical understanding of the area. It contributes to the corpus of knowledge that provides a frame of reference based on an insightful synthesis of the prior study. It aims to identify future research avenues in the domain of operations strategy. Several research avenues are identified by carefully analyzing the available literature and conducting a robust bibliometric approach combined with network and content analysis techniques. Thus, the current study will be a valuable resource for future scholars interested in learning about and examining this area. Research limitations/implications Continuous research for improvement in the existing system or practice has been the fundamental nature of human beings. Hence, it is pertinent to identify future research avenues for the researchers interested in the area. Despite the extensive studies on operations strategy, certain areas require more investigation. As per the analysis of the literature search of 1,070 articles published in the area, the author suggests future scholars explore the following research avenues: need for conceptual and mixed–method studies; cross-country comparison and generalization; integration with Industry 4.0 technologies; integration with the triple bottom line; and aligning with circular economy. Practical implications A need is created to generate a pathway of aligning operations strategy with the principles of circular economy, requiring future research to address its fundamentals. Potential research questions that could be explored are as follows: How can companies align operations strategy with circular economy principles to minimize waste and improve resource efficiency? How does adopting circular economy practices impact supply chain design and operations strategy? What role do innovation and technology play in integrating circular economy principles into operations strategy? Social implications The proposed research avenues will provide adequate information to operations managers about areas of attention that would fully leverage operations strategy and provide the firm with a competitive advantage. Moreover, integrating their outcomes with Industry 4.0 technologies, particularly emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things can provide a new direction for operations managers. Furthermore, operations performance can make or break the organization. Performance is not a simple or easy concern; it is multi-faceted in the sense that a single measure can never comprehensively represent it. Several measures will always be needed to evaluate the holistic performance of a firm. Originality/value This work provides several theoretical and managerial implications by offering a thorough and methodical understanding of the area. It contributes to the corpus of knowledge that provides a frame of reference based on an insightful synthesis of the prior study. It aims to identify future research avenues in the domain of operations strategy. Several research avenues are identified by carefully analyzing the available literature and conducting a robust bibliometric approach combined with network and content analysis techniques. Thus, the current study will be a valuable resource for future scholars interested in learning about and examining this area.

Research on the group path of improving the efficiency of China’s public sports services based on DEA and fsQCA analysis

Public sports services crucially determine the transformation of China into a robust sports country. The enhancement of public sports service efficiency fundamentally manifests its high-quality development. We utilize the data of 30 provinces in China in 2020 as the research object, and we apply data envelope analysis (DEA) to measure and evaluate the efficiency level of China’s public sports services as well as Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to identify the critical influencing factors; moreover, we explore the grouping pathways that affect the efficiency improvement of public sports services. The results of the study indicate the following: (1) Although the efficiency of public sports services in China is high, regional differences are apparent. (2) GDP per capita, government support, and years of education are the key factors for efficiency improvement. (3) Population-government-led, economic-resource input, and economic-educational dual-drive are the core pathways for enhancing efficiency. Therefore, the following recommendations are made: boosting the efficiency of China’s public sports services by focusing on the level of regional economic development and rationally allocating public sports resources; increasing the investment of public sports funds to enhance the quality and level of services; strengthening the government’s purchasing efforts to promote the market-based operation of public sports services; and increasing the average years of education to strengthen the public’s awareness and participation in sports. This study integrates Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for efficiency assessment and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) for causal analysis in public sports services, effectively addressing the limitations of single-method approaches. Thus, the scope of research is broadened, and a novel perspective is offered. DEA highlights efficiency disparities within Chinese public sports services, whereas the input–output system enhances the accuracy of evaluations. FsQCA identifies key drivers, inhibitors, and contextual combinations that assist policymakers. Overall, this study enriches theoretical understanding and provides practical guidance, facilitating high-quality development and addressing diverse sports demands.

Analysis of Data Communication Networks for VTS Surabaya in Class I Type A Navigation District Tanjung Perak

A reliable data communication network is essential in supporting Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) operations, especially in managing vessel traffic in the Class I Navigation District of Tanjung Perak, Surabaya. However, challenges such as network reliability, bandwidth capacity, and potential interference are still obstacles in ensuring efficient operations. This research aims to analyze the condition of the data communication network at the Tanjung Perak Class I Navigation District VTS, focusing on the technology used, its performance, and the obstacles faced. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach, with data collected through direct observation, interviews with VTS operators, and analysis of related documents. The results show that the communication network at VTS uses Very High Frequency (VHF) frequency-based radio communication technology to support operations, such as digital maps of ship traffic and Automatic Identification System (AIS) systems. In conclusion, the data communication network at the Tanjung Perak Class I Navigation District VTS has met basic operational needs, but still requires further development in terms of technology and infrastructure to improve its efficiency and reliability. This research provides recommendations for the integration of advanced technology, infrastructure improvement, and human resource training to optimize the performance of the communication network.

Service Operations for Justice-on-Time: A Data-Driven Queueing Approach

Problem definition: Limited resources in the judicial system can lead to costly delays, stunted economic development, and even failure to deliver justice. Using the Supreme Court of India as an exemplar for such resource-constrained settings, we apply ideas from service operations to study delay. Specifically, court dynamics constitute a case-management queue, whereby each case may experience multiple service encounters spread across time, but all are necessarily with the same server. Our goal is to elucidate the drivers of congestion, focusing on metrics such as the expected case-disposition time (delay) and expected number of cases awaiting adjudication (pendency), and leverage this understanding to recommend operational interventions. Methodology/results: We employ data-driven calibrated simulations to model the analytically intractable case-management queue. The life cycle of a case comprises two stages: preadmission (before determining its merit for detailed hearings) and postadmission. Our methodology allows us to capture the queueing dynamics in which the judges are shared resources across the two stages. It also permits modeling of holiday capacity, which is flexibly tailored to address any surplus work that spills over from the regular year. We find that the second stage of this judicial queue is overloaded, but holiday capacity creates a perception of stability by steadying performance metrics. Managerial implications: The sources of inefficiency that drive congestion include a misalignment between scheduling guidelines and judicial capacity, coupled with the requirement to schedule hearings in advance. Together, these factors inhibit utilization of shared capacity across the two-stage judicial queue. We demonstrate how interventions that account for these inefficiencies can successfully tackle judicial delay. In particular, scheduling to improve the allocation of time across preadmission and postadmission cases can cut down the expected delay by as much as 65%. Funding: This study is (partially) supported by a Korea University Business School Research Grant. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0530 .

EXPRESS: Does Beauty Truly Matter? Examining the Impact of Beautiful Images in Service Operations Using Deep Learning Analytics

EXPRESS: Does Beauty Truly Matter? Examining the Impact of Beautiful Images in Service Operations Using Deep Learning Analytics

Do Chilean cities have the right set of public transport modes?

Although there are various studies that evaluate the optimal design of public transport systems in radial structures, there are few that analyse which urban characteristics are relevant to recommend different public transport modes, particularly in small towns that lack the resources needed for such studies. Based on results from social cost minimization models, we classify small and medium-sized cities of Chile into three categories according to population, density, location of the city centre, and topography. For smaller towns (type A) subsidies to regular public transport seem unnecessary. In intermediate cities (type B) our models recommend promoting public transport services through shared taxis, a typical transport mode in Chilean cities in which a taxi carries up to 4 passengers on fixed routes or zones. Finally, in the largest cities in the sample (type C), it is recommended to subsidize the operation of bus services that produce less externalities than shared taxis, particularly congestion in the city centre. The methodology used can be extended to more complex structures and incorporate data from other countries, in order to formulate useful public policies in diverse contexts, in particular to address the lack of accessibility for vulnerable groups and zones. That said, transitions between categories are challenging for the governance of public transport systems and should be considered in further studies.

Toward real-time operations of modular-vehicle transit services: From rolling horizon control to learning-based approach

Recent technological advancements have opened doors for real-time adjustments and controls during public transport operations. In particular, the introduction of modular vehicles has the potential to significantly enhance public transit service quality. This innovative public transit service with modular vehicles, characterized by its flexible schedules and vehicle formations, allows for the dynamic management of transit capacity to meet the fluctuating passenger demands. This paper proposes to schedule the flexible modular-vehicle transit service in real time considering the varying demands. To jointly optimize the service schedule and vehicle formations, we propose the rolling horizon control approach to decompose the complex problem into subproblems that can be solved efficiently during the process. On top of this, we introduce a learning-based optimization proxy to streamline the optimization process within the rolling horizon framework, enabling near-optimal decisions to be made with minimal execution time without directly solving the optimization problem. Through numerical studies, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methods in terms of solution quality and efficiency. Furthermore, our case studies show that modular vehicles can adapt to the changing demand and effectively reduce the total costs in the transit system.

Civil Service and Socio-Economic Development in Akwa Ibom State

The civil service played a critical role in fostering socio-economic development, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria. This paper examined the role of the civil service in driving socio-economic progress, with a focus on Akwa Ibom State. The study assessed how civil service structures and policies influenced key areas such as employment generation, economic growth, infrastructure development, and public service delivery. To achieve the study objectives, the researcher utilized both descriptive and ex post facto research designs to analyze civil service operations and their impact on socio-economic development. The descriptive design provided a detailed overview of the current state of civil service practices, while the ex post facto design allowed for the examination of past policies and their outcomes without manipulating variables. Data were collected from a variety of secondary sources, including textbooks that offered foundational knowledge, journals with empirical studies, civil service information handbooks detailing regulations, and government bulletins providing insights on policies and challenges. The findings revealed that inadequate allocation of resources; bureaucratic delays, corruption, and ineffective human resource management were major factors that hindered the civil service's ability to achieve socio-economic development. The paper concluded with recommendations for enhancing the efficiency of the civil service, including policy reforms, capacity building, and strategic leadership, to better align with national development goals in Akwa Ibom State.

Strategic Planning of Work Training Center Information System Using TOGAF ADM and ITIL

This study aims to develop an implementation model of TO-GAF and ITIL frameworks in enterprise architecture (EA) for the Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) of the Tegal Re-gency Vocational Training Center (BLK) and determine the improvement of services provided by BLK after the develop-ment of enterprise architecture. This type of research is a case study research where data collection is done by direct observation or observation, interviews and surveys using questionnaires. The population in this study were employees and students of BLK Tegal Regency, totaling 100 people. While the sample was 15 people. TOGAF ADM is used to un-derstand the strategic planning process systematically, from problem identification to the development of measurable solutions. Analysis and design of enterprise architecture is prelimenary phase, requirement management, architecture vision, business architecture, information systems architecture and opportunities and solutions. While the ITIL approach in addition to providing practical guidance in managing BLK IT services, ITIL is also used to test the level of maturity of the system against the blueprint produced so that a tested sys-tem design is obtained. The results of the maturity level of the service operation domain system are at level 4 with a value of 3.94 and have not yet reached level 5 which means that some activities have not been fully carried out to the maximum. To achieve the expected maturity process, management must always supervise every decision making in accordance with existing procedures.

EXPRESS: Optimizing Service Operations with Price- and Density-Dependent Demand: A Copula-Based Approach

Exclusivity is a key component of certain service offerings such as elite members-only social or country clubs. Indeed, such services may only appeal to customers if they limit the crowd density, i.e., the maximal number of customers granted access to the service. We consider a service provider, who sets its crowd density cap in addition to its price. Customers are heterogenous in both their willingness to pay (WTP) for the service and their density tolerance. Each customer purchases the service only if the price is below her WTP and the density is below her tolerance. Importantly, customers’ WTP and density tolerance may be statistically dependent, and we develop a novel, copula-based framework to model the dependence structure of these two dimensions of heterogeneity. We analytically characterize the provider’s optimal price and density decisions. As long as the customer population is not too severely sensitive to density, (i) the provider optimally serves all segments of the market and sets the price and density so that the price, not the density, is the determining factor for customers (from a particular sub-population) on the margin between purchasing and not and (ii) as customers’ valuations and density tolerances become more positively dependent, the provider earns higher revenue and optimally increases its service density. By contrast, the optimal price is quasi-convex but not necessarily increasing. On the other hand, with severely density-sensitive customers, it may be optimal to partially cover the market and to make density the determining factor in customer decisions. Our findings offer prescriptive guidelines for service operations in the presence of density-sensitive demand, and also provide an explanation for the failed versus successful practices of prominent private clubs.

Mining individual daily commuting patterns of dockless bike-sharing users: A two-layer framework integrating spatiotemporal flow clustering and rule-based decision trees

The rise of dockless bike-sharing systems has led to increased interest in using bike-sharing data for sustainable transportation and travel behavior research. However, these studies have rarely focused on the individual daily mobility patterns, hindering their alignment with the increasingly refined needs of active transportation planning. To bridge this gap, this paper presents a two-layer framework, integrating improved flow clustering methods and multiple rule-based decision trees, to mine individual cyclists' daily home-work commuting patterns from dockless bike-sharing trip data with user IDs. The effectiveness and applicability of the framework is demonstrated by over 200 million bike-sharing trip records in Shenzhen. Based on the mining results, we obtain two categories of bike-sharing commuters (74.38 % of Only-biking commuters and 25.62 % of Biking-with-transit commuters) and some interesting findings about their daily commuting patterns. For instance, lots of bike-sharing commuters live near urban villages and old communities with lower costs of living, especially in the central city. Only-biking commuters have a higher proportion of overtime than Biking-with-transit commuters, and the Longhua Industrial Park, a manufacturing-oriented area, has the longest average working hours (over 10 h per day). Moreover, massive users utilize bike-sharing for commuting to work more frequently than for returning home, which is intricately related to the over-demand for bikes around workplaces during commuting peak. In sum, this framework offers a cost-effective way to understand the nuanced non-motorized mobility patterns and low-carbon trip chains of residents. It also offers novel insights for improving the operations of bike-sharing services and planning of active transportation modes.

Recent Vaccination Against SARS-CoV-2 Is Associated with Less Severe Disease in Working-Age Adults.

Essential workers, including those working in healthcare and education, are at higher risk of exposure to communicable diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. Reducing the rates of infection is important for their personal health and for the ongoing safe operation of essential services. Data from participants in two prospective cohort studies who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 through 2023 were used to determine whether vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 is associated with the severity of symptoms in working-age adults. SARS-CoV-2-positive tests (N = 3757) were reported by 3093 participants (mean: 1.2 per person); 1229 (33%) illnesses did not interfere with regular activities, 1926 (51%) made participants too unwell for regular activities, and 602 (16%) required participant bed rest. Compared with vaccine receipt more than 12 months earlier, receipt within six months of an infection was associated with lower risk ratios for more severe illness (too unwell: 0.69 and bed rest: 0.67) compared with being able to conduct regular activities. More recent vaccination was also associated with lower odds reporting of systemic symptoms (fever, myalgia, arthralgia) and fewer solicited symptoms. Staying current with COVID-19 vaccinations should continue to be recommended since receiving a recent immunization lessened the severity of illness. Also, as symptoms of COVID-19 are now largely similar to other respiratory viruses, practitioners need to use this evidence to inform diagnostic testing and return-to-work policies.

Geographically corrected clustering applied to establish medical service areas

Abstract. In the current paper, we discover a case study of medical service areas zoning automation needed to ensure effective operation of phthisiatric service. The study was conducted for the administrative area of Saint Petersburg city (Russia). Originally, the process of phthisiatric service areas zoning bases upon outdated interpretation of medical maintenance of territories, and assumes splitting of living buildings list compiled for some administrative territory. This leads to appearing of different zoning features (service area geometry and topology, workload imbalance, etc.), which impact the quality and effectiveness of medical service. No unified and(or) open source tools for geographically corrected (in the meaning of accounting of the different spatial factors and variables) medical service areas zoning are available now. Our study is focussed onto closing of this lack basing on geospatial techniques and data management methods. To ensure the automated phthisiological medical service areas zoning we elaborated and tested a set of scripts available to be running in QGIS. Elaborated methodology was documented and considered as a possible for implementation into technological chain of Saint Petersburg phthisiatric service.

A comprehensive exposition of the synergistic collaboration between the public and private spheres in healthcare

Public–private partnerships (PPPs) are a type of partnerships between the government and the private sector. PPPs promote innovation in healthcare by combining the resources of the public and private sectors. They provide advantages such as improved service, enhanced accessibility, and cost savings. However, they also have drawbacks such as divergent goals, hesitancy, influence imbalances, and limited data. This review focuses to examine types of PPP in healthcare such as service contracts, operations, maintenance contracts, and capital projects, with a focus on their diverse applications and impacts, its benefits, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, challenges, divergence goals, issues about prices, disputes, and the influence of private sector on healthcare quality, access, and costs in Indian scenario. The review also provides a comprehensive and globally relevant exploration of PPP in healthcare, with a special focus on dental care, non-clinical services, and pragmatic insights into its challenges and solutions, offering a valuable resource for stakeholders in the field.

THE INNOVATIVE TRANSFORMATION IN THE RA BANKING SYSTEM

The analysis shows that the innovative transformation in the banking system of Armenia is a multi-level process that has a significant impact on the entire financial sector of the country. One of the key aspects of this transformation is the deep integration of modern technology into banking. This not only facilitates the interaction of customers and banks, but also increases the level of transparency and efficiency of financial transactions. The innovation of the RA banking system contributes to the expansion of access to financial services, enabling more people to use financial services, especially where they were previously limited. It was concluded that innovations and technological developments enable the banking system to provide faster, safer and more convenient services, reduce human errors and improve the efficiency of processes. New technologies improve the level of security. All of this is leading to greater competition in the banking industry, new ways of working and strategies, and overall improvements in customer service and financial operations (Egorova, A., A., (2015). But they also present new challenges, such as data protection and security issues, as well as the need to use new technologies.

Evaluasi Tingkat Kematangan Sistem Informasi Rumah Sakit Menggunakan Information Technology Infrastructure Library Versi 3

Hospital Information System (HIS) is an important component in supporting effective and efficient health services. Evaluation of the maturity of information systems is needed to ensure that the implementation of SIRS is in accordance with the standards and needs of the organization. This study aims to evaluate the maturity level of information systems at Amanah Hospital using the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) version 3 framework, specifically in the Service Operation domain. The research method uses a quantitative approach with data collection through questionnaires distributed to respondents involved in managing information systems. The evaluation was carried out on five subdomains, namely Event Management, Incident Management, Request Fulfillment, Problem Management, and Access Management. The results showed that the maturity level of the Amanah Hospital information system was at level 3.81 (Managed), with the highest value in the Incident Management and Access Management subdomains (4.00), while the lowest value in Event Management and Request Fulfillment (3.66). Based on these results, several improvements are recommended including the development of an integrated monitoring system, strengthening operational procedures, improving HR competencies, and implementing more structured periodic evaluations to achieve an optimal level of maturity.

Evaluating mobile health interventions for HIV patients in Nigeria: Healthcare policy implications from a simulation study

ObjectivesPeople living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) benefit from mobile health (mHealth) technologies through self-managing and monitoring their disease with enhanced patient experience and health outcomes. However, the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these interventions are yet to be studied. The study aims to assess the impact of mHealth on operational and cost metrics relevant to PLWHA and HIV service delivery. Data SourcesData were a mixture of primary and secondary data from the hospital setting, experts’ opinions, reports, and the literature. MethodUsing a web-based simulation platform, SmartHIV Manager™, for the management of HIV services, we tested scenarios based on four possible reductions in the number of clinic visits and four groups of PLWHA who can be offered a mobile device free of charge (16 scenarios in total). The study was conducted in collaboration with Faith Alive Foundation Hospital (Nigeria) using a mHealth app (BSmart Chart). ResultsIn the worst-case scenario, the hospital anticipates a 14 % decrease in the number of visits from stable patients, nine fewer doctors to operate their service, and a 3 % savings in total cost after accounting for mHealth intervention expenses and mobile phone acquisition. With the service currently running at 161 % doctor capacity, this intervention alleviates staff pressure and ensures quality care. ConclusionThe study shows significant system efficiency gains, fewer visits, better health outcomes, economic benefits for stable patients, and increased capacity. These findings apply to most HIV services worldwide, especially in times of limited resources. Public Interest SummaryMobile health (mHealth) technologies support people living with HIV/AIDS by helping them manage their health and receive remote monitoring. This study examines the impact of mHealth apps on the costs and operations of HIV services. Conducted in a rural HIV setting in Nigeria, where many patients face financial challenges, the research used a simulation-based decision support tool (known as SmartHIV Manager) to test the scenario of providing free mobile devices and reducing clinic visits for stable patients. Results indicated that this approach could reduce patient visits and healthcare costs while easing the workload of overburdened doctors. Globally, introducing mHealth apps could be impactful, given the constraints of limited healthcare staff and budgets.

2015 United States Public Health Service optimal fluoride level adherence and operation among adjusting water systems in 40 states: 2016–2021

AbstractIn 2015, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) set a target fluoride level for drinking water at 0.7 mg/L to maximize oral health benefits while minimizing any potential harms. Using water fluoridation operational data reported by water systems to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Water Fluoridation Reporting System (WFRS) during 2016–2021, this study assesses how water systems performed around this target. The authors summarize completeness of data reporting, assess the distribution of monthly average fluoride readings (MAFR) values, and evaluate precision in maintaining fluoride levels. About 69% of adjusting systems provided data, with an average completeness of 63.8% among them. MAFR mean was 0.71 mg/L (SD: 0.20 mg/L), indicating that water systems have primarily adopted the USPHS target. About 76% of MAFRs fell ± 0.1 mg/L around the reporting system point's mean, indicating feasibility in maintaining precision around a target. State programs and water systems could work together to improve data quality and educate operators on best practices.

Drivers of short-term essential air service operations: Load factor, pricing, and subsidy policies in China's domestic air market

This study analyzes the impact of the temporary flight subsidy policy on the operational performance of China's domestic air transport market. Using panel data from 42 days between May 7 and June 17, 2022, and applying a dynamic panel model with time-invariant variables, the study explores the factors influencing average load factor and average ticket price under short-term basic air service conditions. The results reveal that, during the pandemic, load factors exhibited weak dependence on historical data, with airlines adjusting to real-time demand fluctuations. Additionally, the flight subsidy policy failed to meet its intended goals, leading to a reduction in overall load factors, particularly for China Southern, China Eastern, and Hainan Airlines, while Air China demonstrated more flexibility in adapting to the policy. The study also identifies the significant influence of route distance and airport size on both load factors and ticket prices, with longer routes and major hub airports commanding higher prices. These findings suggest that future subsidy policies should be more flexible and tailored to specific market conditions to effectively support the recovery and long-term sustainability of the aviation industry.