IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jaitra/v61y2017icp41-52.html

Challenges to domestic air freight in Australia: Evaluating air traffic markets with gravity modelling

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander, David W.
  • Merkert, Rico

Abstract

With two of the busiest air traffic corridors globally, Sydney-Melbourne (SYD-MEL) and Sydney-Brisbane (SYD-BNE), very liberal open skies agreements, and the world's most isolated large city in Perth, air freight in Australia should be destined for substantial growth, but has in contrast to other regions such as the US not yet materialised. This paper identifies challenges surrounding domestic air freight markets in Australia and compares the provision of road vs air freight services utilising gravity modelling methods. Our findings suggest the impedance of domestic air freight services in Australia is greater for regional areas between the primary cities (such as Canberra, between Sydney and Melbourne) than remoter areas (such as Cairns in Northern Australia). Our models show further that in addition to distance, air freight capacity on any of our analysed routes is despite being demand-pulled in terms of GDP dependency significantly attuned to factors at both the origin (in particular domestic trade capability, i.e. manufacturing and logistics) and destination.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander, David W. & Merkert, Rico, 2017. "Challenges to domestic air freight in Australia: Evaluating air traffic markets with gravity modelling," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 41-52.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaitra:v:61:y:2017:i:c:p:41-52
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.11.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969699716300102
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.11.008?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lux, Matthias, 2011. "Defying Gravity: The Substitutability of Transportation in International Trade," MPRA Paper 36395, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Feb 2012.
    2. James E. Anderson & Eric van Wincoop, 2003. "Gravity with Gravitas: A Solution to the Border Puzzle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 170-192, March.
    3. Matsumoto, Hidenobu, 2007. "International air network structures and air traffic density of world cities," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 269-282, May.
    4. James Feyrer, 2019. "Trade and Income—Exploiting Time Series in Geography," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 1-35, October.
    5. Anne-Célia Disdier & Keith Head, 2008. "The Puzzling Persistence of the Distance Effect on Bilateral Trade," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(1), pages 37-48, February.
    6. Chi, Junwook & Baek, Jungho, 2012. "Price and income elasticities of demand for air transportation: Empirical evidence from US airfreight industry," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 18-19.
    7. Arvis, Jean-François & Shepherd, Ben, 2011. "The air connectivity index : measuring integration in the global air transport network," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5722, The World Bank.
    8. Piermartini, Roberta & Rousová, Linda, 2008. "Liberalization of air transport services and passenger traffic," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2008-06, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    9. Merkert, Rico & Ploix, Boris, 2014. "The impact of terminal re-organisation on belly-hold freight operation chains at airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 78-84.
    10. Fridström, Lasse & Thune-Larsen, Harald, 1989. "An econometric air travel demand model for the entire conventional domestic network: The case of Norway," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 213-223, June.
    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. Lotti, Raoni & Caetano, Mauro, 2018. "The airport choice of exporters for fruit from Brazil," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 104-112.
    2. Rivera-Gonzalez, Carlos & Amaral, Julia C., 2024. "Assessment of freight accessibility in New York City: A spatial-temporal approach," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    3. Alexander, D.W. & Merkert, R., 2021. "Applications of gravity models to evaluate and forecast US international air freight markets post-GFC," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 52-62.
    4. Zhang, Yilin & Abate, Megersa & Cheung, Tommy & Zhang, Anming, 2024. "What shapes international air transportation in Southern Africa? − The evidence considering the impact of Covid-19," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    5. Hee Kyung Kim & Chang Won Lee, 2019. "Development of a Cost Forecasting Model for Air Cargo Service Delay Due to Low Visibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-14, August.
    6. Kağan Albayrak, Muhammed Bilge & Özcan, İsmail Çağrı & Can, Raif & Dobruszkes, Frédéric, 2020. "The determinants of air passenger traffic at Turkish airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    7. He, Hang & Wu, Hanjun & Tsui, Kan Wai Hong & Wang, Biao & Fu, Xiaowen, 2024. "Spatiotemporal evolution of air cargo networks and its impact on economic development - An analysis of China's domestic market before and during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    8. Zhang, Linfeng & Yang, Hangjun & Bian, Lei, 2025. "Complex network analysis of China's domestic air cargo network based on actual flight data," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 133-156.
    9. Yu, Shunan & Yang, Zhongzhen & Zhang, Wei, 2019. "Differential pricing strategies of air freight transport carriers in the spot market," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 9-15.
    10. Kiracı, Kasım, 2025. "The nexus between air cargo and international trade: Empirical evidence from country groups," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    11. AlKheder, Sharaf & Almutairi, Shrouq, 2025. "Investigating cargo capacity determinants in desertic airports using Bayesian Network (BN) analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    12. Wang, Yue & Wong, Collin Wai Hung & Cheung, Tommy King-Yin & Wu, Edmund Yangming, 2021. "How influential factors affect aviation networks: A Bayesian network analysis," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    13. Katrin Oesingmann, 2022. "The determinants of air cargo flows and the role of multinational agreements: An empirical comparison with trade and air passenger flows," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 2370-2393, August.
    14. Chen, Zhe & Ni, Haowen & Wang, Zhengli, 2025. "Analyzing the propagation effect of high-speed rail from air passenger to air cargo traffic in China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    15. Aydın, Umut & Ülengin, Burç, 2022. "Analyzing air cargo flows of Turkish domestic routes: A comparative analysis of gravity models," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    16. Gizem Kaya & Umut Aydın & Burç Ülengin, 2023. "A Comparison of Forecasting Performance of PPML and OLS estimators: The Gravity Model in the Air Cargo Market," EKOIST Journal of Econometrics and Statistics, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 0(39), pages 112-128, December.
    17. Fageda, Xavier & Gonzalez-Aregall, Marta, 2025. "Determinants of air cargo traffic in Europe: Intercontinental flights, competition and airlines’ business model," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    18. Fageda, Xavier & Fioravanti, Reinaldo & Ricover, Andy & Café, Eduardo & Ansaldo, Mariano, 2023. "Econometric analysis of the determinants of air cargo services supply in Latin America and the Caribbean," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 33-44.
    19. Kazda, Antonín & Novák Sedláčková, Alena & Böhm, Patrik & Materna, Matúš, 2024. "Thinking beyond models: The propensity to fly of four Central European countries," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    20. Chen, Zhe & Jiang, Hai, 2020. "Impacts of high-speed rail on domestic air cargo traffic in China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 1-13.
    21. Mehmet Gurturk & Erkan Celik, 2025. "A Bibliometric Analysis of Air Cargo: Milestones, Trends, and Future Directions," Transportation Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 64(2), April.

    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. Elisaveta Archanskaia & Guillaume Daudin, 2012. "Heterogeneity and the Distance Puzzle," Documents de Travail de l'OFCE 2012-17, Observatoire Francais des Conjonctures Economiques (OFCE).
    2. Feyrer, James, 2021. "Distance, trade, and income — The 1967 to 1975 closing of the Suez canal as a natural experiment," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    3. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/53r60a8s3kup1vc9ji21mi9p3 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Xi He, 2022. "Regional Trade Agreements and Excluded Countries," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(1), pages 428-449, January.
    5. Tianyu Fan & Mai Wo & Wei Xiang, 2025. "Geopolitical Barriers to Globalization," Papers 2509.12084, arXiv.org, revised Apr 2026.
    6. Lux, Matthias, 2011. "Defying Gravity: The Substitutability of Transportation in International Trade," MPRA Paper 36395, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Feb 2012.
    7. Egger, Peter H. & Nigai, Sergey, 2015. "Structural gravity with dummies only: Constrained ANOVA-type estimation of gravity models," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(1), pages 86-99.
    8. Afnan Al-Malk & Jean-François Maystadt & Maurizio Zanardi, 2025. "The gravity of distance: evidence from a trade embargo," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 25(2), pages 175-189.
    9. Alexander, D.W. & Merkert, R., 2021. "Applications of gravity models to evaluate and forecast US international air freight markets post-GFC," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 52-62.
    10. Head, Keith & Mayer, Thierry, 2014. "Gravity Equations: Workhorse,Toolkit, and Cookbook," Handbook of International Economics, in: Gopinath, G. & Helpman, . & Rogoff, K. (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 4, chapter 0, pages 131-195, Elsevier.
    11. Kadochnikov, Sergey M. & Fedyunina, Anna A., 2017. "The impact of financial and human resources on the export performance of Russian firms," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 41-51.
    12. Martina Lawless, 2010. "Deconstructing gravity: trade costs and extensive and intensive margins," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 43(4), pages 1149-1172, November.
    13. Hakan Yilmazkuday, 2014. "Mismeasurement of Distance Effects: The Role of Internal Location of Production," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(5), pages 992-1015, November.
    14. Stacy Julius & Nnanna P. Azu & Maimuna Y. Muhammad, 2019. "Assessing the Impact of Terrorism in Trade Development in the SADC Region: A Gravity Model Approach," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(10), pages 1147-1159, October.
    15. Felbermayr, Gabriel & Gröschl, Jasmin, 2013. "Natural disasters and the effect of trade on income: A new panel IV approach," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 18-30.
    16. Álvarez, Inmaculada C. & Barbero, Javier & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Zofío, José L., 2018. "Does Institutional Quality Matter for Trade? Institutional Conditions in a Sectoral Trade Framework," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 72-87.
    17. Saima Nawaz, 2020. "Institutions, Regional Integration and Bilateral Trade in South Asia: PPML Based Evidence," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 221-242.
    18. Yuan Li & John C. Beghin, 2017. "A meta-analysis of estimates of the impact of technical barriers to trade," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: John Christopher Beghin (ed.), Nontariff Measures and International Trade, chapter 4, pages 63-77, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    19. Falck, Oliver & Heblich, Stephan & Lameli, Alfred & Südekum, Jens, 2012. "Dialects, cultural identity, and economic exchange," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 225-239.
    20. Evgenie P. Zharikov & Alla A. Kravchenko & Olesya O. Sergeeva & Victor V. Stetsyuk, 2016. "Econometric Estimation of Bilateral Transboundary Trade between Russia and China," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 6(3), pages 1068-1071.
    21. Jordi Paniagua & Cristina Villó & Maria Escrivà-Beltran, 2022. "Cross-Border Higher Education: The Expansion of International Branch Campuses," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(6), pages 1037-1057, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:jaitra:v:61:y:2017:i:c:p:41-52. 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.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-air-transport-management/ .

    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.