AIrline Services and Metropolitan Areas in the Asia‐pacific Region 1970 ‐ 1990

This paper looks at the ways in which air transport has affected economic growth in metropolitan areas in the Asia‐Pacific region. Two primary influences are identified: level of service to a particular airport; and local airline industry activities. The paper examines the former by means of an historical overview of the factors influencing the development of economic ‘control centers’ in the Pacific Rim. The level of a service at an airport in the region has depended greatly on local economic activity, as well as on geography, aircraft technology, and intergovernmental regulation. Data on non‐stop international flights in the Asia‐Pacific region for 1970, 1980, and 1990 are used to document the emergence of major hubs such as Hong Kong, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. It is argued that as technology advances, services will become even more concentrated in a few places, causing further congestion and strain on infrastructure capacity.