Spatial Structure and Evolution of the Three State-owned Airlines’ Networks in China
Du Delin1,2, Mo Huihui3 and Wang Jiao’e1,2
(1. Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research,
CAS, Beijing 100101, China; 2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Beijing 100049, China; 3. China Academy of Civil Aviation Science and Technology, Beijing 100028, China)
Abstract：With the deregulation of civil aviation, airlines are becoming more important in the air transportation market and have gradually become an important research object in the aeronautical transportation geography. In China, all state-owned airlines were regrouped into three major airline groups: China National Aviation Holding Company (whose core business is Air China), China Eastern Air Holding Company (whose core business is China Eastern Airlines), and China Southern Air Holding Group (whose core business is China Southern Airlines) by 2002. Over more than 10 years, the three major airlines have developed rapidly and the market has expanded. At present, the three airlines have basically dominated the domestic air transport market, and their network structures have very important effects. The network organization and hub selection of the three airlines is not only a research topic of economics and management but is also worth studying from the perspective of geography. Taking the three airlines as examples, this paper analyzes and compares their network structure and characteristics over the last decade using the methods of graph and complex network theories. The results are as follows: 1) the networks of the three airlines are still in the development stage and show the characteristics of “small world” and “scale-free.” The structure of their networks was optimized from 2005 to 2015. Of the three airlines, Air China has the smallest scale and cohesion, China Southern Airlines has the largest segment and the greatest cohesion, and China Eastern Airlines has the fastest expansion of the network scale. 2) The three airlines were significantly correlated with each other in their degree centrality, but the correlations among their betweenness centrality were weak. This means that the same airport may have similar, direct connectivity in different networks, but the transfer capacity is different. 3) The hierarchies of the three airlines are basically formed. The hubs of their global network are obviously different, but the construction of their regional hubs is similar. Beijing-Capital International Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport are the hubs of the air network of Air China. Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Kunming Changshui International Airport, and Xi’an Xianyang International Airport are the hubs of the air network of China Eastern Airlines. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, and Urumchi Diwopu International Airport are the hubs of the air network of China Southern Airlines. The regional hubs of the three airlines are still changing, but they have a certain similarity with each other.
杜超，王姣娥．2015．南方航空网络空间格局及市场范围．地理研究，34（7）：1319-1330．[Du Chao and Wang Jiao’e．2015．Sptial pattern of China Southern Airlines; network and its market coverage．Geographical Research, 34(7): 1319-1330．]
胡浩，葛岳静，王姣娥．2013．后金融危机时代中国民航企业跨国并购的探索分析——以海航为例．经济地理，33（4）：88-93．[Hu Hao, Ge Yuejing and Wang Jiao’e．2013．Analysis on the Cross-Border Merger and Acquisition of Civil Aviation Enterprises in China in the Era of Post-Crisis: A Case Study of Hainan Airlines．Economic Geography, 33(4): 88-93．]
焦敬娟，王姣娥．2014a．海航航空网络空间复杂性及演化研究．地理研究，33（5）：926-936．[Jiao Jingjuan and Wang Jiao’e．2014a．Spatial structure and evolution of Hainan Airlines Network: An analysis of complex network．Geographical Research, 33(5): 926-936．]
焦敬娟，王姣娥．2014b．近10年海南航空网络空间格局及演化研究．地理科学，34（5）：571-579．[Jiao Jingjuan and Wang Jiao’e．2014b．
Spatio-temporal Evolution of Airlines’ Network in the Last Decade．
Scientia Geographica Sinica, 34(5): 571-579．]
金凤君，孙炜，萧世伦．2005a．我国航空公司重组及其对航空网络结构的影响．地理科学进展，24（2）：59-68．[Jin Fengjun, Sun Wei and Shihlung Shaw．2005．China’s Airline Reorganization and Its Effect on Network Structure．Progress in Geography, 24(2): 59-68．]
金凤君，王成金．2005b．轴-辐侍服理念下的中国航空网络模式构筑．地理研究，24（5）：774-782．[Jin Fengjun and Wang Chengjin．2005．
Hub-and-spoke system and China aviation network organization．
Geographical Research, 24(5): 774-782．]
Lin C C．2010．The integrated secondary route network design model in the hierarchical hub-and-spoke network for dual express services．Production Economics, 123(1): 195-212．
刘宏鲲，周涛．2007．中国城市航空网络的实证研究与分析．物理学报，56（1）：106-112．[Liu Hongkun and Zhou Tao．2007．Empirical study of Chinese city airline network．Acta Physica Sinica, 56(1): 106-112．]
陆锋，萧世伦，陈洁，周成虎．2005．中国民航客运（国内）空间格局与竞争态势分析．地球信息科学学报，7（4）：43-49．[Lu Feng, Shaw Shihlung, Chen Jie and Zhou Chenghu．2005．Spatial Patterns of Domestic Passenger Transport and Competitive Situation for Chinese Civil Airlines．Journal of Geo-information Science, 7(4): 43-49．]
莫辉辉，王姣娥．2012．复杂交通网络：结构、过程与机理．北京：经济管理出版社．[Mo Huihui and Wang Jiao’e．2012．Complex Transport Network: Structure, Process & Mechanism．Beijing: Economy & Management Publishing House．]
O’Kelly M E．1998．A geographer’s analysis of hub-and-spoke networks．Journal of Transport of Geography, 6(3): 171-186．
Shaw S L, Lu F, Chen J and Zhou C H．2009．China’s airline consolidation and its effects on domestic airline networks and competition．Journal of Transport Geography, 17(4): 293-305．
Shaw S L and Ivy R L．1994．Airline mergers and their effect on network structure．Journal of Transport Geography, 2(4): 234-246．
王成金，王伟，王姣娥．2015．基于航空公司重组的枢纽机场航班配置网络演变——以北京、上海和广州为例．地理研究，34（6）：1029- 1043．[Wang Chengjin, Wang Wei and Wang Jiao’e．2015．Pattern of schedule network in hub airports: From the view of airlines reorganization．Geographical Research, 34(6): 1029-1043．]
Wang J E, Bonilla D and Banister D．2016．Air deregulation in China and its impact on airline competition 1994-2012．Journal of Transport Geography, 50: 12-23．
王姣娥，莫辉辉．2011．航空运输地理学研究进展与展望．地理科学进展，30（6）：670-680．[Wang Jiao’e and Mo Huihui. Geography of Air Transportation: Retrospect & Prospect．Progress in Geography, 30(6): 670-680．]
王姣娥，莫辉辉．2014．中国航空网络演化过程的复杂性研究．交通运输系统工程与信息，14（1）：71-80．[Wang Jiao’e and Mo Huihui．2014．Complex Evolution Process of China’s Air Transport Network．Journal of Transportation System Engineering and Information
Technology, 14(1): 71-80．]
王姣娥，莫辉辉，金凤君．2009．中国航空网络空间结构的复杂性．地理学报，64（8）：899-910．[Wang Jiao’e, Mo Huihui and Jin Fengjun．2009．Spatial structural characteristics of Chinese aviation network based on complex network theory．Acta Geographica Sinica, 64 (8): 899-910．]
Wang J E, Mo H H, Wang F H and Jin F J．2011．Exploring the network structure and nodal centrality of China’s air transport network: A complex network approach．Journal of Transport Geography, 19(4): 712-721．
Wang J E, Mo H H and Wang F H．2014．Evolution of air transport network of China 1930-2012．Journal of Transport Geography, 40: 145-158．
Xu Z and Harriss R．2008．Exploring the structure of the US intercity passenger air transportation network: a weighted complex network approach．GeoJournal, 73(2): 87-102．
Zhang Y H and Round D K．2008．China’s airline deregulation since 1997 and the driving forces behind the 2002 airline consolidations．Journal of Air Transport Management, 14(3): 130-142．
Zheng L and John F O’Connell．2011．The evolving landscape of Chinese aviation policies and impact of a deregulating environment on Chinese carriers．Journal of Air Transport Geography, 19: 829-839．
中国民用航空局．2016．2015年民航行业发展统计公报．北京：中国民用航空局．[Civil Aviation Administration of China．2016．Development
report of China Air Transport in 2015．Beijing: Civil Aviation Administration of China．]
2019, Vol. 39 
