Network-Theoretic Approach for Analyzing Connectivity in Air Transportation Networks

Research reported in this paper is motivated by the need to better understand the structure of connectivity in air transportation networks.Theaim istoinvestigateanalysismodelsandtechniquesfrom modernnetworktheoryas a framework to provide both characterization of network structure and a useful systems analysis approach to derive implications from both local and global topology characteristics. Recent developments in network theory establish meanstoquantifytopological structureinamannerthatmayindicateexpectedperformanceandrobustness.Inthis paper, a mathematical footing from network theory is introduced for examining transport networks in the U.S. domestic air transportation system. Using data for the 2004 travel year, the structure of the transport network (service routes between airports) and several subnetworks is exposed in terms of degree distribution, and the importance of airportsis assessed through several networkmeasures. Useful implications are drawn from measures andfurther analysis that directly maps these measures to system performance is presented. The general approachis found to merit further investigation as part of a larger, more comprehensive, and design-oriented systems analysis framework for air transportation.