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Airline Route Structure Competition and Network Policy

Author

Listed:
  • Hugo Emilo Silva

    (VU University Amsterdam)

  • Erik T. Verhoef

    (VU University Amsterdam)

  • Vincent van den Berg

    (VU University Amsterdam)

Abstract

This paper resulted in a publication in Transportation Research Part B: Methodological , 2014, 67, 320-343. This paper studies whether a regulator needs to correct the route structure choice by carriers with market power in the presence of congestion externalities, in addition to correct their pricing. We account for passenger benefits from increased frequency, passenger connecting costs, airline endogenous hub location and route structure strategic competition. We find that, for some parameters, an instrument directly aimed at regulating route structure choice may be needed to maximize welfare, in addition to per-passenger and per-flight tolls designed to correct output inefficiencies. This holds true when the regulator is constrained to set non-negative tolls, but also for the case of unconstrained tolling.

Suggested Citation

  • Hugo Emilo Silva & Erik T. Verhoef & Vincent van den Berg, 2013. "Airline Route Structure Competition and Network Policy," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 13-189/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20130189
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Stefano Coniglio & Mathias Sirvent & Martin Weibelzahl, 2021. "Airport capacity extension, fleet investment, and optimal aircraft scheduling in a multilevel market model: quantifying the costs of imperfect markets," OR Spectrum: Quantitative Approaches in Management, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research e.V., vol. 43(2), pages 367-408, June.
    3. Babić, Danica & Begović, Boris & Levajković, Tijana, 2023. "Probabilistic model for the impact of fear of flying on airline network structures," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    4. Lin, Ming Hsin & Zhang, Anming, 2016. "Hub congestion pricing: Discriminatory passenger charges," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 5(C), pages 37-48.
    5. Tu, Ningwen & Li, Zhi-Chun & Fu, Xiaowen & Lei, Zheng, 2020. "Airline network competition in inter-continental market," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    6. Roucolle, Chantal & Seregina, Tatiana & Urdanoz, Miguel, 2020. "Measuring the development of airline networks: Comprehensive indicators," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 303-324.
    7. Wang, Chunan & Wang, Xiaoyu, 2019. "Why do airlines prefer multi-hub networks?," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 56-74.
    8. Menezes, Mozart B.C. & Ruiz-Hernández, Diego & Verter, Vedat, 2016. "A rough-cut approach for evaluating location-routing decisions via approximation algorithms," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 89-106.
    9. Dunn, Sarah & Wilkinson, Sean M., 2016. "Increasing the resilience of air traffic networks using a network graph theory approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 39-50.
    10. Lin, Ming Hsin & Zhang, Yimin, 2017. "Hub-airport congestion pricing and capacity investment," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 89-106.
    11. Czerny, Achim I. & van den Berg, Vincent A.C. & Verhoef, Erik T., 2016. "Carrier collaboration with endogenous fleets and load factors when networks are complementary," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 285-297.
    12. Jingjing Hao & Ling Zhang & Xiaofeng Ji & Xiaolong Wu & Lan Liu, 2020. "Investigating the Accessibility between Civil Airports and Tourist Locations in Tourist Cities in Yunnan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-22, May.
    13. Doi, Naoshi & Kono, Tatsuhito & Suzaki, Izumo, 2023. "Optimizing Multiple Airport Charges with Endogenous Airline Quality Considering the Marginal Cost of Public Funds," MPRA Paper 116176, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Lang, Hao & Czerny, Achim I., 2022. "Airport pricing versus (grandfathered) slots: A generalization," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    15. Pels, Eric, 2021. "Product differentiation and network optimality," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 415-429.
    16. Czerny, Achim I. & Lang, Hao, 2019. "A pricing versus slots game in airport networks," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 151-174.
    17. Babić, Danica & Kalić, Milica, 2018. "Modeling the selection of airline network structure in a competitive environment," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 42-52.
    18. Achim I. Czerny & Vincent A.C. van den Berg & Erik T. Verhoef, 2015. "Complementary Alliances with Endogenous Fleets and Load Factors," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 15-134/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Route structure competition; Aviation policy; Hub-and-spoke networks; Fully-connected networks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H2 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L93 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Air Transportation
    • R4 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics

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