Measuring airports’ ability to sustain the COVID-19 disruption in the Chinese domestic market: Considering the effect of low-cost carriers and high-speed rails

Weicheng Wang , Xiangru Wu , Xiaowen Fu , Kun Wang
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Abstract

Air transportation continues to gain focus and grow rapidly to meet the demand for social development. Meanwhile, the risk of unpredictable disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic must be addressed to ensure stable air transportation. The Chinese domestic market was experiencing unique challenges during the pandemic, considering strict pandemic control measures, limited deregulation, and significant competition from high-speed rail (HSR). This study evaluates the determinants of Chinese airports' performance from 2020 to 2022 based on a weighted connectivity index and an interactive fixed effect (IFE) model. We highlight the critical role of low-cost carriers (LCCs) in mitigating the pandemic's impact, with LCC route entry demonstrating a more pronounced positive effect on airport performance than increased flight frequency. Contrary to conventional expectations, HSR availability did not significantly undermine airport performance, suggesting a more complex air-HSR relationship shaped by intermodal cooperation and regional travel behaviour. Geographical heterogeneity also played a significant role: while LCC entry was vital in the less-developed western regions, increased frequency of LCC flights contributed more to the stable and mature eastern markets. These findings underscore the importance of fostering LCC development and promoting air-HSR coordination. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders to enhance the resilience of the aviation sector in the post-COVID-19 era.
衡量机场在中国国内市场承受新冠肺炎中断的能力:考虑低成本航空公司和高铁的影响
航空运输继续受到关注,并迅速发展,以满足社会发展的需求。同时,必须应对COVID-19大流行等不可预测的破坏性事件的风险,以确保航空运输的稳定。中国国内市场在疫情期间面临着独特的挑战,包括严格的疫情控制措施、有限的放松管制以及来自高铁(HSR)的激烈竞争。本研究基于加权连通性指数和互动固定效应(IFE)模型,评估了2020 - 2022年中国机场绩效的决定因素。我们强调低成本航空公司在减轻疫情影响方面的关键作用,与增加航班频率相比,低成本航空公司开通航线对机场绩效的积极影响更为显著。与传统预期相反,高铁的可用性并没有显著影响机场绩效,这表明由多式联运合作和区域旅行行为形成的更复杂的空气-高铁关系。地域异质性也发挥了重要作用:虽然低成本航空进入西部欠发达地区至关重要,但低成本航空航班频率的增加对稳定和成熟的东部市场贡献更大。这些发现强调了促进低成本航空公司发展和促进空气-高铁协调的重要性。总体而言,本研究为政策制定者和行业利益攸关方提供了宝贵的见解,以增强航空业在后covid -19时代的韧性。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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