Connectivity analysis of air cargo transshipment at hub airport

초록

After the deregulation of the aviation market in the United States in 1978, airlines took advantage of the possibilities of the liberalized market and reorganized their networks. Then, the hub-and-spoke networks became widely used in the aviation market. The framework of hub-and-spoke network made it feasible to amplify flight networks. Thus, a number of airlines were able to fly to more destination than ever before through these networks. Amplification of networks can be implemented through the transfer of passengers, transshipment of cargo, or both most researches have been concentrated on the passenger aspect at airports worldwide. Air cargo, however, has become one of the most significant areas at hub airports to keep their leading position in terms of the provision of services and handling volumes. This paper investigates the connectivity of airfreight networks as the temporal concentrations in current network at Incheon International Airport. In order to evaluate airline flight schedule effects to stimulate hubbing at an airport, the indirect connectivity can be considered to be the number of direct frequencies, the minimum connecting times and the quality of the connection determine indirect connectivity. Therefore, the connectivity of freight transshipment depends on both the quality of the connection at the hub airport and the quality of the indirect flight compared to the direct flight. In addressing these issues, this paper analyzes the connectivity of flight schedules using a temporal wave-system structure and estimates the degree of connectivity and quality of connectivity applying the NETSCAN model. Key words: Airline networks, Connectivity index, Incheon International Airport, Indirect connectivity, NETSCAN model, Wave-system structure