Does airport connectivity increase passenger traffic? Evidence by airline type in China

Yue Hu, Liang Dai, Kurt Fuellhart and Frank Witlox

Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 2026, vol. 209, issue C

Abstract: Enhanced airport connectivity is widely linked to passenger traffic growth, yet conditions under which this relationship holds remain unclear. This study analyzes how connectivity shaped by different airline network structures affects airport passenger volumes in China’s domestic market from 2009 to 2019. Using a two-way fixed effects panel model, we evaluate how these effects vary by airport scale and geographic location. Results show that the impact of connectivity is not uniform: accounting for differences in airport operational scale, the impact of connectivity on passenger traffic at Core and Growing airports varies across airline network types. When spatial heterogeneity is considered, the effect of connectivity on airport passenger traffic across regions likewise varies by airline network type. The findings highlight that both airport characteristics and airline network types condition the benefits of connectivity, offering guidance for more targeted and efficient aviation subsidy policies.

Keywords: Passenger traffic; Network effect; Panel regression; Air traffic determinants; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2026.105008

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