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Connecting African urban areas: airline networks and intra-Sub-Saharan trade

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  • Button, Kenneth
  • Brugnoli, Alberto
  • Martini, Gianmaria
  • Scotti, Davide

Abstract

Despite efforts to enhance the efficiency of the African air transportation sector through such actions the Yamoussoukro Decision, African represents less than 2% of the world’s air passenger kilometers. This is despite the fact that air transportation can act as a means of transporting traded goods directly (including the individuals that are the “product” of tourism) and provide complementary services of labor mobility for those engaged in the production of more bulky goods that are shipped by land and maritime modes. We examine the network of intra-Sub-Saharan African airline connections to highlight the differential access enjoyed by the region’s largest cities. Second, we develop a quantitative framework linking the availability of air connections to the main international trade flows in sub-Sahara Africa. Our findings suggest that, although there is a positive link between air transportation and economic development in Africa, the multilateral efforts at reducing institutional impediments to more open aviation markets have not produced significant results.

Suggested Citation

  • Button, Kenneth & Brugnoli, Alberto & Martini, Gianmaria & Scotti, Davide, 2015. "Connecting African urban areas: airline networks and intra-Sub-Saharan trade," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 84-89.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:42:y:2015:i:c:p:84-89
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.11.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Meichsner, Nadine A. & O'Connell, John F. & Warnock-Smith, David, 2018. "The future for African air transport: Learning from Ethiopian Airlines," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 182-197.
    2. Adler, Nicole & Njoya, Eric Tchouamou & Volta, Nicola, 2018. "The multi-airline p-hub median problem applied to the African aviation market," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 187-202.
    3. 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.
    4. Baiqing Sun & Ramadhan Kauzen, 2023. "The Impact of Port Infrastructure and Economic Growth in Tanzania: Adopting a Structural Equation Modeling Approach," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440221, January.
    5. Gianmaria Martini & Flavio Porta & Davide Scotti, 2024. "Persistent and transient productive efficiency in the African airline industry," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 259-278, June.
    6. Tolcha, Tassew Dufera & Tchouamou Njoya, Eric & Bråthen, Svein & Holmgren, Johan, 2021. "Effects of African aviation liberalisation on economic freedom, air connectivity and related economic consequences," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 204-214.
    7. Abate, Megersa, 2016. "Economic effects of air transport market liberalization in Africa," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 326-337.
    8. Brugnoli, Alberto & Dal Bianco, Antonio & Martini, Gianmaria & Scotti, Davide, 2018. "The impact of air transportation on trade flows: A natural experiment on causality applied to Italy," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 95-107.
    9. Zhang, Yahua & Zhang, Anming & Zhu, Zhenran & Wang, Kun, 2017. "Connectivity at Chinese airports: The evolution and drivers," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 490-508.
    10. Michael Quayle & Maura Adshead, 2018. "The resilience of regional African HIV/AIDS research networks to the withdrawal of international authors in the subfield of public administration and governance: lessons for funders and collaborators," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(1), pages 163-173, October.
    11. Kenneth Button & Gianmaria Martini & Davide Scotti & Nicola Volta, 2017. "Fare elasticities of demand for direct and indirect flights in sub-Saharan Africa," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(8), pages 523-526, May.
    12. Button, Kenneth & Porta, Flavio & Scotti, Davide, 2020. "The role of strategic airline alliances in Africa," MPRA Paper 108265, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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