Changing Geography of China’s International Air Transport Served by Chinese Airlines

This research examines international air transport served by Chinese airlines from 1990 to 2004. Specifically, this research examines how the spatial patterns of air transport networks changed during this period. Particular attention was given to the competition among the three major hubs designated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China: Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. This paper also measured regional differences denoted by air transport as well as the impacts of several significant incidents on China’s international air transport.

Data were obtained from a series of China Transportation and Communication Yearbooks (1990-2004). Each yearbook compiles airline statistics of routes, number of scheduled flights, and passenger and freight volumes. These figures were imported into ArcGIS for relevant analyses. Two different types of analyses were carried out in this study: network analysis and descriptive statistical analysis. Network analysis was performed to measure structural development of the network as well as individual growth of the three major hubs. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to assess regional disparities and to evaluate the impacts of economic, social, and political events and circumstances on the airline industry.

Major changes in network connectivity were observed, which were largely due to the presence/absence of provincial capitals, tourist cities and/or secondary cities in the network. All three major hubs experienced low to moderate increase in accessibility from 1990 to 2004. Shanghai was most likely to develop into the most accessible hub in the network. Air traffic displayed a great disparity among different world regions. The largest air traffic flows resided in Asia. Europe placed second followed by North America and Oceania. Links between China and Africa were suspended after 1994 and connections with Latin America were absent during the entire study period. Several major declines in air traffic were associated with the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003.

The study concludes that China’s international airline network is moving towards a system with a high level of connectivity and great coverage.