Stages in Air Network Development

Source: Adapted from O’Connor, K. (1995) “Airport Development in Southeast Asia”, Journal of Transport Geography, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 269-279.

Four major stages can summarize air network development:

1) Initial development. During the 1930s basic linear services were established. Since the technical capabilities of aircrafts were limited, especially in terms of range, intermediate stops had to be made. For instance, a flight across the Pacific required stops at Hawaii, Wake, Midway, Guam and the Philippines islands.
2) By-passing effect. During the 1940s and 1950s, the technical capabilities of aircrafts improved substantially, which enabled to by-pass several intermediate stops. Routes between major destinations still had a linear structure.
3) Proximity effect. In the 1960s and 1970s, aircraft technology permitted long distance routes, which supported the development of a network structure reflecting better the size and function of markets. As such, the airports of large cities started to see the development of feeder services.
4) Hubbing effect. Through the accumulated effect of hubbing, the 1980s and 1990s saw the creation of large hubs handling the great majority of air traffic, especially at the international level.

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