Hub-and-Spoke System in Air Transportation and Its Implications to Regional Economic Development——A Case Study of United States

Considerable changes have taken place in commercial passenger air transport since the enactment of the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act in the US and the deregulation of airline networks that has occurred elsewhere. The commercial and operational freedoms have led most of the larger carriers to develop hub-and-spoke networks, within which certain cities or metropolitan areas emerge as key nodes possessing tremendous advantages over other locations in the air transport system. This paper examines the nature of hub-and-spoke operations in air transportation services, and the benefits that accrue to a city or geographical region that is host to an airline hub. In particular, it looks into linkages between the air service hub and local economic development. Four potential types of impact of airports on the regional economy are defined and discussed. As an example, the assessment of the economic impacts of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), a major Delta Airlines hub, is introduced.

Network Aggregation Process in Multilayer Air Transportation Networks

The air transportation network, one of the common multilayer complex systems, is composed of a collection of individual airlines, and each airline corresponds to a different layer. An important question is then how many airlines are really necessary to represent the optimal structure of a multilayer air transportation system. Here we take the Chinese air transportation network （CATN） as an example to explore the nature of multiplex systems through the procedure of network aggregation. Specifically, we propose a series of structural measures to characterize the CATN from the multilayered to the aggregated network level. We show how these measures evolve during the network aggregation process in which layers are gradually merged together and find that there is an evident structural transition that happened in the aggregated network with nine randomly chosen airlines merged, where the network features and construction cost of this network are almost equivalent to those of the present CATN with twenty-two airlines under this condition. These findings could shed some light on network structure optimization and management of the Chinese air transportation system.

Comparison on Vulnerability of European and Chinese Air Transport Networks under Spatial Hazards

European air transport network(EATN)and Chinese air transport network(CATN),as two important air transport systems in the world,are facing increasingly spatial hazards,such as extreme weathers and natural disasters. In order to reflect and compare impact of spatial hazards on the two networks in a practical way,a new spatial vulnerability model(SVM)is proposed in this paper,which analyzes vulnerability of a network system under spatial hazards from the perspectives of network topology and characteristics of hazards. Before introduction of the SVM,two abstract networks for EATN and CATN are established with a simple topological analysis by traditional vulnerability method. Then,the process to study vulnerability of an air transport network under spatial hazards by SVM is presented. Based on it,a comparative case study on EATN and CATN under two representative spatial hazard scenarios,one with an even spatial distribution,named as spatially uniform hazard,and the other with an uneven spatial distribution that takes rainstorm hazard as an example,is conducted. The simulation results show that both of EATN and CATN are robust to spatially uniform hazard,but vulnerable to rainstorm hazard. In the comparison of the results of the two networks that only stands from the points of network topology and characteristics of hazard without considering certain unequal factors,including airspace openness and flight safety importance in Europe and China,EATN is more vulnerable than CATN under rainstorm hazard. This suggests that when the two networks grow to a similar developed level in future,EATN needs to pay more attention to the impact of rainstorm hazard.

Mass Tourism and Air Transport, an Inevitable Relationship： The Case of Canary Islands

The tourist industry, as global mass phenomenon, is inextricably linked to the evolution of air transport systems and air carriers, in turn, depends on tourism to ensure stability in routes and prices. Therefore, both sectors must face the new challenges together, the transport industry is heading a problem of energy and cost overruns, that inevitably will affect tourism in the short term. The first energy crisis that they are starting to live, has been mitigated by changes in three parameters： （1） the international regulation of commercial aviation; （2） the connectivity and business （birth of low cost companies） models; and （3） the new policies for climate change and gas emission. So far, the rapid growth of the tourist industry has being held on a fast and cheap access to transport energy resources based on the false belief of unlimited access to energy. The article is a review of the state of the art, and the research papers published on air transportation, relating to tourism and the emergence of low cost airlines, in order to give a global vision for the decision makers of mass destinations, as it is the case of the Canary Islands that we will use as a reference.

Factor Analysis on Industrial International Competitiveness： An Empirical Study on China Air Transport Industry

After China＇s entry into WTO, our industries will be confronted with fiercer competition. How to strengthen their international competitiveness to seek for survival and development has become a very urgent problem. This paper first simply discusses the meaning and theo^es of industrial international competitiveness, then chooses proper indexes according to some principles, explains the factor analysis method of industrial international competitiveness, and finally makes empirical analysis on China air transport industry.

Regulations of Business Licensing for Route of Foreign Air Transport Enterprises

Regulations of Busi- ness Licensing for Route of Foreign Air Transport Enterprises(CCAR- 287),which were passed at the executive meeting of Civil Aviation Ad- ministration of China on May 19,2008,were hereby promulgated and became effective as of July 11,2008.

Application of Nonlinear Triangular Fuzzy Fault Tree Algorithm in Predicting Lithium Battery Air Transport Accidents

The traditional triangular fuzzy fault tree prediction model adopts the linear approximation method.Therefore,the accident prediction error is large.Based on the analysis of the error sources and the fuzzy set,the precise calculation method of the event at the top of the fault tree is given.By using the numerical calculation software,an accurate calculation method of nonlinear triangular fuzzy accident prediction was adopted to predict lithium battery air transport fire accidents,and the fuzzy importance of the cause event was calculated.

Laplacian energy maximizationfor multi-layer air transportation networks

To increase airspace capacity, alleviate flight delay,and improve network robustness, an optimization method of multi-layer air transportation networks is put forward based on Laplacian energy maximization. The effectiveness of taking Laplacian energy as a measure of network robustness is validated through numerical experiments. The flight routes addition optimization model is proposed with the principle of maximizing Laplacian energy. Three methods including the depth-first search( DFS) algorithm, greedy algorithm and Monte-Carlo tree search( MCTS) algorithm are applied to solve the proposed problem. The trade-off between system performance and computational efficiency is compared through simulation experiments. Finally, a case study on Chinese airport network( CAN) is conducted using the proposed model. Through encapsulating it into multi-layer infrastructure via k-core decomposition algorithm, Laplacian energy maximization for the sub-networks is discussed which can provide a useful tool for the decision-makers to optimize the robustness of the air transportation network on different scales.

A Basic Study of the Forecast of Air Transportation Networks Using Different Forecasting Methods

This research applies network structuring theories to the aviation domain and predicts aviation network growth, considering a flight connection between airports as a link between nodes. Our link prediction approach is based on network structure information, and to improve prediction accuracy, it is necessary to estimate the mechanism of aviation network growth. This research critically evaluates the prediction accuracy of two methods: the receiver operating characteristic curve method (ROC) and the logistic regression method. We propose a four-step method to evaluate the relative predictive accuracy among different link prediction methods. A case study of US aviation networks indicated that the ROC method provided better prediction accuracy compared with the logistic regression method. This result suggests that tuning of the prediction distribution and the regression model coefficients can further improve the accuracy of the logistic regression method.

A Systems-Theoretic Security Model for Large Scale, Complex Systems Applied to the US Air Transportation System

Classical risk-based or game-theoretic security models rely on assumptions from reliability theory and rational expectations economics that are not applicable to security threats. Additionally, these models suffer from serious deficiencies when they are applied to software-intensive, socio-technical systems. A new approach is proposed in this paper that applies principles from control theory to enforce constraints on security threats thereby extending techniques used in system safety engineering. It is applied to identify and mitigate the threats that could emerge in critical infrastructures such as the air transportation system. Insights are provided to assist systems engineers and policy makers in securely transitioning to the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS).

Effects of Accurate Weather Forecast on Air Transport in Shanghai on March 17 in 2016

From the evening on March 17 to the morning on March 18 in 2016,advection low-cloud and advection fog weather appeared in Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The forecasters on duty accurately forecast the weather process in advance on March 17,which could provide favorable references for each airline to make correct plans for flights and for related control departments to control airspace flow,avoid a large area of flight delay,alternating and returning of flights,and disorder of air traffic order,and ensure the safety and efficiency of air transport in Shanghai.

Helicopter EMS beyond Trauma: Utilization of Air Transport for Non-Trauma Conditions

Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) use in civilian medical transport has its roots in the use of rotor-wing trauma transport in the military setting. Much of the literature and evidence based?on the use of HEMS is therefore related to scene and interfacility transport of injured patients. Regionalization of care and increased understanding of time-criticality of various non-trauma conditions has contributed to growing utilization of HEMS for non-trauma conditions over recent decades. It is common for HEMS to be utilized for a variety of non-trauma situations ranging from neonatal and obstetrics transports to cardiac and stroke transports. The purpose of this review is to overview the use of HEMS for non-trauma, focusing on situations in which there is evidence addressing possible HEMS utility.

Dynamics of air transport networks：A review from a complex systems perspective

Air transport systems are highly dynamic at temporal scales from minutes to years.This dynamic behavior not only characterizes the evolution of the system but also affect the system＇s functioning.Understanding the evolutionary mechanisms is thus fundamental in order to better design optimal air transport networks that benefits companies,passengers and the environment.In this review,we briefly present and discuss the state-of-the-art on time-evolving air transport networks.We distinguish the structural analysis of sequences of network snapshots,ideal for long-term network evolution（e.g.annual evolution）,and temporal paths,preferred for short-term dynamics（e.g.hourly evolution）.We emphasize that most previous research focused on the first modeling approach（i.e.long-term） whereas only a few studies look at high-resolution temporal paths.We conclude the review highlighting that much research remains to be done,both to apply already available methods and to develop new measures for temporal paths on air transport networks.In particular,we identify that the study of delays,network resilience and optimization of resources（aircraft and crew） are critical topics.

Network analysis of Chinese air transport delay propagation

The Chinese air transport system has witnessed an important evolution in the last decade,with a strong increase in the number of flights operated and a consequent reduction of their punctuality.In this contribution,we propose modelling the process of delay propagation by using complex networks,in which nodes are associated to airports,and links between pairs of them are assigned when a delay propagation is detected.Delay time series are analysed through the wellknown Granger Causality,which allows detecting if one time series is causing the dynamics observed in a second one.Results indicate that delays are mostly propagated from small and regional airports,and through flights operated by turbo-prop aircraft,These insights can be used to design strategies for delay propagation dampening,as for instance by including small airports into the system＇s Collaborative Decision Making.

Air transportation in China: Temporal and spatial evolution and development forecasts

This paper analyses the features and dynamic changes of the spatial layout of air transportation utilization among different provinces in China. It makes use of data for the airport throughput and socio-economic development of every province throughout the country in the years 2006 and 2015, and employs airport passenger and cargo throughput per capita and per unit of GDP as measures of regional air transportation utilization, which is significant for refining indicators of regional air transportation scale and comparing against them. It also analyzes the spatial differences of coupling between the regional air transportation utilization indicators and the key influencing factors on regional air transportation demand and utilization, which include per capita GDP, urbanization rate, and population density. Based on these key influencing factors, it establishes a multiple linear regression model to conduct forecasting of each province＇s future airport passenger and cargo throughput as well as throughput growth rates. The findings of the study are as follows：（1） Between 2006 and 2015, every province throughout the country showed a trend of year on year growth in their airport passenger and cargo throughput per capita. Throughput per capita grew fastest in Hebei, with a rise of 780%, and slowest in Beijing, with a rise of 38%. Throughput per capita was relatively high in western and southeastern coastal regions, and relatively low in northern and central regions. Airport passenger and cargo throughput per unit of GDP showed growth in provinces with relatively slow economic development, and showed negative growth in provinces with relatively rapid economic development. Throughput per unit of GDP grew fastest in Hebei, rising 265% between 2006 and 2015, and Hunan had the fastest negative growth, with a fall of 44% in the same period. Southwestern regions had relatively high throughput per unit of GDP, while in central, northern, and northeastern regions it was relatively low.（2） Strong correlation exists between airport passenger and cargo throughput per capita and per capita GDP, urbanization rate, and population density. Throughput per capita has positive correlation with per capita GDP and urbanization rate in all regions, and positive correlation with population density in most regions. Meanwhile, there is weak correlation between airport passenger and cargo throughput per unit of GDP and per capita GDP, urbanization rate, and population density, with positive correlation in some regions and negative correlation in others.（3） Between 2015 and 2025, it is estimated that all provinces experience a trend of rapid growth in their airport passenger and cargo throughput. Inner Mongolia and Hebei will see the fastest growth, rising221% and 155%, respectively, while Yunnan, Sichuan, and Hubei will see the slowest growth, with increases of 62%, 63%, and 65%, respectively.

Medical transportation and the contribution of air medical evacuation in isolated mountainous areas of Greece-Case study,Municipality of Agrafa

In every emergency medical situation,access to emergency medical services is an inalienable right of any citizen.The average acceptable time to provide first aid assistance is 60 minutes.In this paper,the possibility of using helicopters for air travel in mountainous areas was examined for the first time for all of Greece and especially for a mountainous and isolated area such as the Municipality of Agrafa.Initially,the time distance-virtual distance,from the hospitals was calculated at the national level of Greece,with an acceptable first contact time of 60 minutes(golden hour),i.e.,less than two hours from the nearest hospital to the incident and back to the hospital and the relevant conclusions are drawn.Then,the case study of Municipality of Agrafa,one of the most mountainous areas in Greece,was examined.The time distance of the settlements from the nearest primary health point,namely the Primary Health Centre(PHC)of West Fragkista,was calculated and the transportation by ground means was compared with the corresponding time by flying means,to investigate the contribution of air transportation or not,of the timely arrival of the patients in the appropriate health structure.Finally,possible helicopter landing locations were identified,using a geographic information system to facilitate the process of air medical transportation in the Municipality of Agrafa.

ANTI-MONOPOLY PERSPECTIVES OF CHINESE PUBLIC AIR TRANSPORT MARKET

Chinese public air transport market has been undergoing restructuring and marketization since the reform and opening up, which plays a special and significant role in the social and economic aspects of the state. After the enforcement of the Anti-Monopoly Law of China in 2008, the issue of effective regulation on the anticompetitive practices of public air transport market has become the focus of the relevant discussions, in which monopoly agreements and concentration of undertakings play a key part. Only thorough understandings of and insights from the competition motives of relevant industry, markets and enterprises based on comprehensive legal controls, can the relevant anti-monopoly legislation and law enforcement be effectively optimized and improved.

Precipitation Chemistry and Corresponding Transport Patterns of Influencing Air Masses at Huangshan Mountain in East China

One hundred and ten samples of rainwater were collected for chemical analysis at the summit of Huangshan Mountain, a high-altitude site in East China, from July 2010 to June 2011. The volume-weighted-mean （VWM） pH for the whole sampling period was 5.03. SO2- and Ca2＋ were the most abundant anion and cation, respectively. The ionic concentrations varied monthly with the highest concentrations in winter/spring and the lowest in summer. Evident inter-correlations were found among most ions, indicating the common sources for some species and fully mixing characteristics of the alpine precipitation chemistry. The VWM ratio of [SO]-]/[NO3] was 2.54, suggesting the acidity of rainwater comes from both nitric and sulfuric acids. Compared with contemporary observations at other alpine continental sites in China, the precipitation at Huangshan Mountain was the least polluted, with the lowest ionic concentrations. Trajectories to Huangshan Mountain on rainy days could be classified into six groups. The rainwater with influencing air masses originating in Mongolia was the most polluted with limited effect. The emissions of Jiangxi, Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces had a strong influence on the overall rain chemistry at Huangshan Mountain. The rainwater with influencing air masses from Inner Mongolia was heavily polluted by anthropogenic pollutants.

Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of Real Air Plasma in Wide Range of Temperature and Pressure

Air plasma has been widely applied in industrial manufacture. In this paper, both dry and humid air plasmas＇ thermodynamic and transport properties are calculated in temperature 300 100000 K and pressure 0.1-100 atm. To build a more precise model of real air plasma, over 70 species are considered for composition. Two different methods, the Gibbs free energy minimization method and the mass action law method, are used to deternfinate the composition of the air plasma in a different temperature range. For the transport coefficients, the simplified Chapman-Enskog method developed by Devoto has been applied using the most recent collision integrals. It is found that the presence of CO2 has almost no effect on the properties of air plasma. The influence of H2O can be ignored except in low pressure air plasma, in which the saturated vapor pressure is relatively high. The results will serve as credible inputs for computational simulation of air plasma.

Spatiotemporal Variations and Regional Transport of Air Pollutants in Two Urban Agglomerations in Northeast China Plain

Characteristics of air pollution in Northeast China(NEC) received less research attention in the past comparing to other heavily polluted regions in China.Spatiotemporal variations of six criteria air pollutants(PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3 and CO) in Central Liaoning Urban Agglomeration(CLUA) and Harbin-Changchun Urban Agglomeration(HCUA) in NEC Plain were analyzed in this study based on three-year hourly observations of air pollutants and meteorological variables from 2015 to 2017.The results indicated that the annual mean concentrations of air pollutants are generally higher in the middle and southern regions in NEC Plain and lower in the northern region.Megacities such as Shenyang, Harbin and Changchun experience severe air pollution, with a three-year averaged air quality index(AQI) larger than 80, far exceeding the daily AQI standard at the first-level of 50 in China.The annual mean PM and SO2 concentrations decrease most significantly in NEC urban agglomerations from 2015 to 2017, followed by CO and NO2, while O3 shows a slight increasing trend.All the six pollutants exhibit obvious seasonal and diurnal variations, and these variations are dictated by local emission and meteorological conditions.PM2.5 and O3 concentrations in NEC urban agglomerations strongly depend on wind conditions.High O3 concentrations at different cities usually occur in presence of strong winds but are independent on wind direction(WD), while high PM2.5 is usually accompanied by weak winds and poor dispersion condition, and sometimes also occur when the northerly or southerly winds are strong.Regional transport of air pollutants between NEC urban agglomerations is common.A severe haze event on November 1–4, 2017 is examined to demonstrate the role of regional transport on pollution.