IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v116y2022icp237-247.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Japanese aviation market performance during the COVID-19 pandemic - Analyzing airline yield and competition in the domestic market

Author

Listed:
  • Ng, Kam To
  • Fu, Xiaowen
  • Hanaoka, Shinya
  • Oum, Tae Hoon

Abstract

The Japanese aviation market experienced significant changes in the past decade, with a few entrant low-cost carriers (LCCs) changing the duopoly by the two dominant full-service airlines (FSAs) of Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. However, the major disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic might change industry development trajectory. This study provides an updated review of the development and performance assessment of the Japanese domestic market, with a focus on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on airlines' capacity, frequency, yield and competition using data from 2019 to 2020. Special efforts are dedicated to investigating whether there is significant asymmetry between FSAs and LCCs across different types of routes. Our empirical results suggest that the pandemic did impose significant negative effects on airline yield, scheduled seats and frequency. Such effects were different across mainline vs. regional routes, with FSAs still maintaining much of their dominance. The two leading FSAs' duopoly appears to be strengthened, whereas the market share of the third-largest carrier, Skymark Airlines, shrank significantly towards the end of 2020. Regional routes’ sustainability has been further challenged to the extent that more resources may have to be allocated to maintain regional connectivity until sustainable recovery of travel demand. Entrant LCCs continue to put downward pressure on yield, but their contribution to overall market competition may be moderated by their affiliations with the two dominant FSAs under the so called airlines-within-airlines strategy. Affiliated LCCs could strengthen, instead of reducing, the dominance of the duopoly JAL and ANA over independent airlines in the Japanese domestic market. The government should ensure that there are no entry barriers blocking independent entrants to the market.

Suggested Citation

  • Ng, Kam To & Fu, Xiaowen & Hanaoka, Shinya & Oum, Tae Hoon, 2022. "Japanese aviation market performance during the COVID-19 pandemic - Analyzing airline yield and competition in the domestic market," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 237-247.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:116:y:2022:i:c:p:237-247
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.12.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X21003590
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.12.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thomas Hale & Noam Angrist & Rafael Goldszmidt & Beatriz Kira & Anna Petherick & Toby Phillips & Samuel Webster & Emily Cameron-Blake & Laura Hallas & Saptarshi Majumdar & Helen Tatlow, 2021. "A global panel database of pandemic policies (Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker)," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(4), pages 529-538, April.
    2. Zhang, Linfeng & Yang, Hangjun & Wang, Kun & Zhan, Yi & Bian, Lei, 2020. "Measuring imported case risk of COVID-19 from inbound international flights --- A case study on China," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    3. Sheng, Dian & Li, Zhi-Chun & Xiao, Yi-bin & Fu, Xiaowen, 2015. "Slot auction in an airport network with demand uncertainty," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 79-100.
    4. Wang, Kun & Tsui, Kan Wai Hong & Liang, Liping & Fu, Xiaowen, 2017. "Entry patterns of low-cost carriers in Hong Kong and implications to the regional market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(PB), pages 101-112.
    5. Eric Pels & Peter Nijkamp & Piet Rietveld, 2001. "Airport and Airline Choice in a Multiple Airport Region: An Empirical Analysis for the San Francisco Bay Area," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 1-9.
    6. Zhang, Yahua & Sampaio, Breno & Fu, Xiaowen & Huang, Zhibin, 2018. "Pricing dynamics between airline groups with dual-brand services," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 46-59.
    7. Gillen, David & Lall, Ashish, 2004. "Competitive advantage of low-cost carriers: some implications for airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 41-50.
    8. Homsombat, Winai & Lei, Zheng & Fu, Xiaowen, 2014. "Competitive effects of the airlines-within-airlines strategy – Pricing and route entry patterns," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-16.
    9. Tsui, Wai Hong Kan & Fu, Xiaowen & Yin, Chuanzhong & Zhang, Huaxin, 2021. "Hong Kong's aviation and tourism growth - An empirical investigation," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    10. Yang, Hangjun & Fu, Xiaowen, 2015. "A comparison of price-cap and light-handed airport regulation with demand uncertainty," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 122-132.
    11. Zhang, Junyi & Hayashi, Yoshitsugu & Frank, Lawrence D., 2021. "COVID-19 and transport: Findings from a world-wide expert survey," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 68-85.
    12. Richard, Oliver, 2003. "Flight frequency and mergers in airline markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 907-922, June.
    13. Pels, Eric & Nijkamp, Peter & Rietveld, Piet, 2003. "Access to and competition between airports: a case study for the San Francisco Bay area," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 71-83, January.
    14. Wang, Kun & Gong, Qiang & Fu, Xiaowen & Fan, Xingli, 2014. "Frequency and aircraft size dynamics in a concentrated growth market: The case of the Chinese domestic market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 50-58.
    15. Morrell, Peter, 2005. "Airlines within airlines: An analysis of US network airline responses to Low Cost Carriers," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 11(5), pages 303-312.
    16. Zhang, Yahua & Wang, Kun & Fu, Xiaowen, 2017. "Air transport services in regional Australia: Demand pattern, frequency choice and airport entry," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 472-489.
    17. Katsuhiro Yamaguchi, 2013. "Evolution of Metropolitan Airports in Japan: Air Development in Tokyo and Osaka," International Transport Forum Discussion Papers 2013/3, OECD Publishing.
    18. Itf, 2018. "Government Support Measures for Domestic Air Connectivity," International Transport Forum Policy Papers 65, OECD Publishing.
    19. Xiaowen Fu & Mark Lijesen & Tae H. Oum, 2006. "An Analysis of Airport Pricing and Regulation in the Presence of Competition Between Full Service Airlines and Low Cost Carriers," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 40(3), pages 425-447, September.
    20. Ai Tashiro & Rajib Shaw, 2020. "COVID-19 Pandemic Response in Japan: What Is behind the Initial Flattening of the Curve?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-15, June.
    21. Marco Alderighi & Alessandro Cento & Peter Nijkamp & Piet Rietveld, 2004. "The Entry of Low-Cost Airlines: Price Competition in the European Airline Market," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-074/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    22. Fu, Xiaowen & Lei, Zheng & Wang, Kun & Yan, Jia, 2015. "Low cost carrier competition and route entry in an emerging but regulated aviation market – The case of China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 3-16.
    23. Xiaowen Fu & Kan Wai Hong Tsui & Breno Sampaio & David Tan, 2021. "Do airport activities affect regional economies? Regional analysis of New Zealand’s airport system," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(4), pages 707-722, April.
    24. Ken Hendricks & Michele Piccione & Guofu Tan, 1995. "The Economics of Hubs: The Case of Monopoly," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 62(1), pages 83-99.
    25. Franke, Markus, 2004. "Competition between network carriers and low-cost carriers—retreat battle or breakthrough to a new level of efficiency?," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 15-21.
    26. Zhang, Anming & Hanaoka, Shinya & Inamura, Hajime & Ishikura, Tomoki, 2008. "Low-cost carriers in Asia: Deregulation, regional liberalization and secondary airports," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 36-50.
    27. Whyte, Randall & Lohmann, Gui, 2015. "The carrier-within-a-carrier strategy: An analysis of Jetstar," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 141-148.
    28. Winai Homsombat & Zheng Lei & Xiaowen Fu, 2011. "Development Status And Prospects For Aviation Hubs — A Comparative Study Of The Major Airports In South-East Asia," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 56(04), pages 573-591.
    29. Murakami, Hideki, 2011. "Time effect of low-cost carrier entry and social welfare in US large air markets," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 306-314, May.
    30. Zhang, Linfeng & Yang, Hangjun & Wang, Kun & Bian, Lei & Zhang, Xian, 2021. "The impact of COVID-19 on airline passenger travel behavior: An exploratory analysis on the Chinese aviation market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    31. Czerny, Achim I. & Fu, Xiaowen & Lei, Zheng & Oum, Tae H., 2021. "Post pandemic aviation market recovery: Experience and lessons from China," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    32. Zhang, Anming & Wei, Xin, 1993. "Competition in airline networks : The case of constant elasticity demands," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 42(2-3), pages 253-259.
    33. Brueckner, Jan K & Spiller, Pablo T, 1994. "Economies of Traffic Density in the Deregulated Airline Industry," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 37(2), pages 379-415, October.
    34. Shinya Hanaoka, 2018. "Low-cost Carriers in the Japanese Aviation Market," Advances in Airline Economics, in: Airline Economics in Asia, volume 7, pages 9-31, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    35. Lin, Ming Hsin, 2012. "Airlines-within-airlines strategies and existence of low-cost carriers," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 637-651.
    36. Gillen, David & Gados, Alicja, 2008. "Airlines within airlines: Assessing the vulnerabilities of mixing business models," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 25-35.
    37. Oum, Tae Hoon & Fu, Xiaowen, 2007. "Air transport security user charge pricing: An investigation of flat per-passenger charge vs. Ad Valorem user charge schemes," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 283-293, May.
    38. Ken Hendricks & Michele Piccione & Guofu Tan, 1999. "Equilibria in Networks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 67(6), pages 1407-1434, November.
    39. Murakami, Hideki & Amano, Yoshihisa & Asahi, Ryota, 2015. "Dynamic effect of inter-firm rivalry on airfares: Case of Japan's full-service and new air carriers," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 44, pages 25-33.
    40. Fu, Xiaowen & Jin, Huan & Liu, Shaoxuan & Oum, Tae H. & Yan, Jia, 2019. "Exploring network effects of point-to-point networks: An investigation of the spatial patterns of Southwest Airlines’ network," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 36-45.
    41. Sheng, Dian & Li, Zhi-Chun & Fu, Xiaowen, 2019. "Modeling the effects of airline slot hoarding behavior under the grandfather rights with use-it-or-lose-it rule," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 48-61.
    42. Steven A. Morrison, 2001. "Actual, Adjacent, and Potential Competition Estimating the Full Effect of Southwest Airlines," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 35(2), pages 239-256, May.
    43. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Technological and educational challenges towards pandemic-resilient aviation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 104-115.
    44. Fu, Xiaowen & Dresner, Martin & Oum, Tae H., 2011. "Effects of transport service differentiation in the US domestic airline market," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 297-305, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ng, Kam To & Fu, Xiaowen & Lee, Jaewoon & Yamaguchi, Katsuhiro & Zhu, Chuanyan, 2023. "The Effects of Bankruptcy on Airline Yield and Frequency: The case of the duopolistic domestic market in Japan," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 28-36.
    2. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2022. "Ghostbusters: Hunting abnormal flights in Europe during COVID-19," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 203-217.
    3. Mizutani, Jun & Sakai, Hiroki, 2023. "The effects of frequent flyer programs in the competition with high speed rail: A case study of air passenger preference in Japan," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fu, Xiaowen & Jin, Huan & Liu, Shaoxuan & Oum, Tae H. & Yan, Jia, 2019. "Exploring network effects of point-to-point networks: An investigation of the spatial patterns of Southwest Airlines’ network," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 36-45.
    2. Ng, Kam To & Fu, Xiaowen & Lee, Jaewoon & Yamaguchi, Katsuhiro & Zhu, Chuanyan, 2023. "The Effects of Bankruptcy on Airline Yield and Frequency: The case of the duopolistic domestic market in Japan," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 28-36.
    3. Wang, Kun & Tsui, Wai Hong Kan & Li, Lan-Bing & Lei, Zheng & Fu, Xiaowen, 2020. "Entry pattern of low-cost carriers in New Zealand - The impact of domestic and trans-Tasman market factors," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 36-45.
    4. Zhang, Yahua & Sampaio, Breno & Fu, Xiaowen & Huang, Zhibin, 2018. "Pricing dynamics between airline groups with dual-brand services," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 46-59.
    5. Su, Min & Luan, Weixin & Fu, Xiaowen & Yang, Zaili & Zhang, Rui, 2020. "The competition effects of low-cost carriers and high-speed rail on the Chinese aviation market," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 37-46.
    6. Wang, Kun & Tsui, Kan Wai Hong & Liang, Liping & Fu, Xiaowen, 2017. "Entry patterns of low-cost carriers in Hong Kong and implications to the regional market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 64(PB), pages 101-112.
    7. Zhang, Yahua & Wang, Kun & Fu, Xiaowen, 2017. "Air transport services in regional Australia: Demand pattern, frequency choice and airport entry," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 472-489.
    8. Chen, Tiantian & Fu, Xiaowen & Hensher, David A. & Li, Zhi-Chun & Sze, N.N., 2022. "Air travel choice, online meeting and passenger heterogeneity – An international study on travellers’ preference during a pandemic," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 439-453.
    9. Ko, Young Dae, 2019. "The airfare pricing and seat allocation problem in full-service carriers and subsidiary low-cost carriers," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 92-102.
    10. Wang, Chunan & Wang, Xiaoyu, 2019. "Airport congestion delays and airline networks," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 328-349.
    11. Fu, Xiaowen & Lei, Zheng & Liu, Shaoxuan & Wang, Kun & Yan, Jia, 2020. "On-time performance policy in the Chinese aviation market - An innovation or disruption?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 14-23.
    12. Hou, Meng & Wang, Kun & Yang, Hangjun, 2021. "Hub airport slot Re-allocation and subsidy policy to speed up air traffic recovery amid COVID-19 pandemic --- case on the Chinese airline market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    13. Oliveira, Bruno F. & Oliveira, Alessandro V.M., 2022. "An empirical analysis of the determinants of network construction for Azul Airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    14. Salesi, Vinolia Kilinaivoni & Kan Tsui, Wai Hong & Fu, Xiaowen & Gilbey, Andrew, 2022. "Strategies for South Pacific Region to address future pandemics: Implications for the aviation and tourism sectors based on a systematic literature review (2010–2021)," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 107-126.
    15. Li, Zhi-Chun & Tu, Ningwen & Fu, Xiaowen & Sheng, Dian, 2022. "Modeling the effects of airline and high-speed rail cooperation on multi-airport systems: The implications on congestion, competition and social welfare," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 448-478.
    16. Nokhaiz Tariq Khan & Javed Aslam & Ateeq Abdul Rauf & Yun Bae Kim, 2022. "The Case of South Korean Airlines-Within-Airlines Model: Helping Full-Service Carriers Challenge Low-Cost Carriers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-19, March.
    17. Sheng, Dian & Li, Zhi-Chun & Fu, Xiaowen, 2019. "Modeling the effects of airline slot hoarding behavior under the grandfather rights with use-it-or-lose-it rule," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 48-61.
    18. Tsui, Wai Hong Kan & Fu, Xiaowen & Yin, Chuanzhong & Zhang, Huaxin, 2021. "Hong Kong's aviation and tourism growth - An empirical investigation," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    19. Ma, Wenliang & Zhang, Anming & Zhang, Yahua & Xu, Shiteng, 2021. "The growing influence of low-cost carriers in Northeast Asia and its implications for a regional single aviation market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    20. Gong, Zhenwei & Zhang, Fangni & Liu, Wei & Graham, Daniel J., 2023. "On the effects of airport capacity expansion under responsive airlines and elastic passenger demand," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 48-76.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:116:y:2022:i:c:p:237-247. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.