Airline Competition and Network Structure

This paper characterizes the equilibria in airline networks and their welfare implications in an unregulated environment. Competing airlines may adopt either fully-connected (FC) or hub-and-spoke (HS) network structures; and passengers exhibiting low brand loyalty to their preferred carrier choose an outside option to travel so that markets are partially served by airlines. In this context, carriers adopt hubbing strategies when costs are sufficiently low, and asymmetric equilibria where one carrier chooses a FC strategy and the other chooses a HS strategy may arise. Quite interestingly, flight frequency can become excessive under HS network configurations.fully-connected networks; hub-and-spoke networks; brand loyalty; fully-served markets; partially-served markets

Aerotropolis: an aviation-linked space

This paper examines the conditions allowing for the formation of aeropolitan areas as large industrial areas with a high concentration of commercial activities in the proximity of cargo airports. When firms deliver part of their production by plane, land competition takes place among service operators, firms and farmers. Service operators supply facilities that firms can take advantage of. Our framework allows selecting a stable land equilibrium: the spatial sequence Airport-Industrial Park-Rural Area (A-I-R). Aerotropolis-type configurations arise around cargo airports when there is an intense use of the airport by the firms and a sufficiently high level of facilities.Aerotropolis; facilities; bid-rent function

"Air services on thin routes: Regional versus low-cost airlines"

An examination of the impact in the US and EU markets of two major innovations in the provision of air services on thin routes - regional jet technology and the low-cost business model - reveals significant differences. In the US, regional airlines monopolize a high proportion of thin routes, whereas low-cost carriers are dominant on these routes in Europe. Our results have different implications for business and leisure travelers, given that regional services provide a higher frequency of flights (at the expense of higher fares), while low-cost services offer lower fares (at the expense of lower flight frequencies).air transportation; regional jet technology; low-cost business model; thin markets JEL classification:L13; L2; L93

Technology, Business Models and Network Structure in the Airline Industry

Network airlines have been increasingly focusing their operations on hub airports through the exploitation of connecting traffic, allowing them to take advantage of economies of traffic density, which are unequivocal in the airline industry. Less attention has been devoted to airlines? decisions on point-to-point thin routes, which could be served using different aircraft technologies and different business models. This paper examines, both theoretically and empirically, the impact on airlines ?networks of the two major innovations in the airline industry in the last two decades: the regional jet technology and the low-cost business model. We show that, under certain circumstances, direct services on point-to-point thin routes can be viable and thus airlines may be interested in deviating passengers out of the hub.regional jet technology, low-cost business model, point-to-point network, hub-and-spoke network

STRATEGIC EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE ALLIANCES

The present paper develops a simple model of a network structure to analyze the profitability and the strategic effects of airline alliances in which two complementary alliances, following different paths, may be formed to serve a certain city-pair market. We examine whether airlines that employ the same hub have an incentive to create an alliance, analyze the effects on carriers outside the alliance and study how fares are affected. We conclude that complementary alliances are profitable for a sufficient degree of product differentiation, which implies that competition intensity is low; that an alliance hurts the outsiders; and that fares will decrease. These findings remain valid to the introduction of more competition in the form of a direct non-stop flight. Our results provide a very simple testable implication that relies on demand parameters that measure the degree of product differentiation, and our findings are consistent with some of the observed facts in the industry.complementary airline alliances, substitute trips, product differentiation

Airline Schedule Competition: Product-Quality Choice in a Duopoly Model

This paper presents a simple model of airline schedule competition that circumvents the complexities of the spatial approach used in earlier papers. Consumers choose between two duopoly carriers, each of which has evenly spaced flights, by comparing the combinations of fare and expected schedule delay that they offer. In contrast to the spatial approach, the particular departure times of individual flights are thus not relevant. The model generates a number of useful comparative-static predictions, while welfare analysis shows that equilibrium flight frequencies tend to be inefficiently low.

Scheduled service versus personal transportation: the role of distance

This paper analyzes both theoretically and empirically the relationship between distance and frequency of scheduled transportation services. We study the interaction between a monopoly firm providing high-speed scheduled service and personal trans- portation (i.e., car). Most interestingly, the carrier chooses to increase frequency of service on longer routes when competing with personal transportation because provid- ing a higher frequency (at extra cost) it can also charge higher fares that can boost its profits. However, when driving is not a relevant option, frequency of service de- creases for longer flights consistently with prior studies. An empirical application of our analysis to the European airline industry con?rms the predictions of our theoretical model.Short-haul routes, long-haul routes, flight frequency, distance