Pub Date : 2025-11-14DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102929
Lai Gan , Shenglong Xie , Tianbao Zhang , Tanglu Li , Yi Zhou , Na Huang , Zhihua Pan , Fei Lun , Qiyuan Hu
Flight delays hinder travel efficiency, causing economic losses and posing huge challenges for the aviation industry. While rising flight delays signal the nexus among weather conditions, their specific impacts were still insufficiently understood, especially considering rainfall and air pollution. By integrating 117,218 Beijing-Shanghai flight records with meteorological dataset, this study quantifies how rainfall and air pollution at both departure and arrival cities influence flight delays at hourly, daily, and monthly scales. Rainfall intensity nonlinearly increases delays: from 36.3 min on clear days to 66.2 min in moderate and above rain. Compound rainfall scenarios led to 26–78 % greater delays compared to single-point rainfall condition. Extreme rainfall event resulted in higher cancellation risk and afternoon delay exceeding clear-day delay by over 150 min. Seasonal analysis identified summer accounting for 39.3 % of all delays, largely driven by monsoon rainfall. Winter delays, though lower in magnitude, were significantly influenced by air pollution, which contributed to 25 % of delay hours during this season. Economic losses due to flight delay reached RMB 254 million during study period, about 70 % attributable to rainfall. These multi-scale mechanisms highlight compound weather-pollution interactions, offering a scientific basis for aviation resilience strategies.
{"title":"How rainfall and air pollution influence flight delays and its associated economic losses: a case study based on Beijing-Shanghai flight in China?","authors":"Lai Gan , Shenglong Xie , Tianbao Zhang , Tanglu Li , Yi Zhou , Na Huang , Zhihua Pan , Fei Lun , Qiyuan Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102929","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102929","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flight delays hinder travel efficiency, causing economic losses and posing huge challenges for the aviation industry. While rising flight delays signal the nexus among weather conditions, their specific impacts were still insufficiently understood, especially considering rainfall and air pollution. By integrating 117,218 Beijing-Shanghai flight records with meteorological dataset, this study quantifies how rainfall and air pollution at both departure and arrival cities influence flight delays at hourly, daily, and monthly scales. Rainfall intensity nonlinearly increases delays: from 36.3 min on clear days to 66.2 min in moderate and above rain. Compound rainfall scenarios led to 26–78 % greater delays compared to single-point rainfall condition. Extreme rainfall event resulted in higher cancellation risk and afternoon delay exceeding clear-day delay by over 150 min. Seasonal analysis identified summer accounting for 39.3 % of all delays, largely driven by monsoon rainfall. Winter delays, though lower in magnitude, were significantly influenced by air pollution, which contributed to 25 % of delay hours during this season. Economic losses due to flight delay reached RMB 254 million during study period, about 70 % attributable to rainfall. These multi-scale mechanisms highlight compound weather-pollution interactions, offering a scientific basis for aviation resilience strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102929"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145525874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102925
Ahmed Abdelghany , Khaled Abdelghany
Irregular operations (IROPS) are among the most complex challenges in airline management. Drawing from both academic gaps and practitioner insight, this paper reframes IROPS as a system-level problem rooted in capacity–demand imbalances and characterized by deeply interdependent recovery decisions. We discuss main core recovery actions and maps the main directional interdependencies among them, highlighting how local actions propagate across the airline network. This reconceptualization shifts the focus from compartmentalized solutions toward integrated, operationally aligned recovery models. The contribution lies in redefining the problem itself to better reflect the realities of airline operations and decision-making. Our goal is to provide a foundation for future modeling, simulation, and optimization studies that more accurately represent the dynamics of large-scale disruption recovery.
{"title":"Addressing the systemic complexity of airline irregular operations: Toward integrated schedule recovery","authors":"Ahmed Abdelghany , Khaled Abdelghany","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102925","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102925","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Irregular operations (IROPS) are among the most complex challenges in airline management. Drawing from both academic gaps and practitioner insight, this paper reframes IROPS as a system-level problem rooted in capacity–demand imbalances and characterized by deeply interdependent recovery decisions. We discuss main core recovery actions and maps the main directional interdependencies among them, highlighting how local actions propagate across the airline network. This reconceptualization shifts the focus from compartmentalized solutions toward integrated, operationally aligned recovery models. The contribution lies in redefining the problem itself to better reflect the realities of airline operations and decision-making. Our goal is to provide a foundation for future modeling, simulation, and optimization studies that more accurately represent the dynamics of large-scale disruption recovery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102925"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145463152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102924
Tassew Dufera Tolcha , Eric Tchouamou Njoya , Panayotis Christidis
This study examines the determinants of domestic air travel demand within African countries, a region underrepresented in existing literature, which has predominantly focused on international routes or domestic travel in other continents. Using a gravity model, the study provides a comprehensive analysis that incorporates socio-economic variables and service-related factors. The findings indicate that domestic air travel demand is significantly influenced by socio-economic factors; specifically, larger educated populations and higher GDP per capita are positively associated with travel demand. The effect of government ownership of airlines on passenger demand is inconclusive: state ownership positively influences demand in Algeria, Ethiopia, and Morocco, but has a negative impact in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria. Service-related aspects also play a crucial role: higher flight frequencies, lower airfares, the presence of low-cost carriers (LCCs), and better connectivity positively influence domestic travel demand. These findings vary across countries, reflecting the diverse economic and infrastructural landscapes of Africa. The study highlights the importance of economic and infrastructural development in boosting domestic air travel across the continent. It suggests that policies aimed at supporting LCCs, enhancing airport connectivity, and promoting economic growth could effectively stimulate domestic air travel.
{"title":"Exploring the determinants of domestic air travel across Africa","authors":"Tassew Dufera Tolcha , Eric Tchouamou Njoya , Panayotis Christidis","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102924","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102924","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the determinants of domestic air travel demand within African countries, a region underrepresented in existing literature, which has predominantly focused on international routes or domestic travel in other continents. Using a gravity model, the study provides a comprehensive analysis that incorporates socio-economic variables and service-related factors. The findings indicate that domestic air travel demand is significantly influenced by socio-economic factors; specifically, larger educated populations and higher GDP per capita are positively associated with travel demand. The effect of government ownership of airlines on passenger demand is inconclusive: state ownership positively influences demand in Algeria, Ethiopia, and Morocco, but has a negative impact in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria. Service-related aspects also play a crucial role: higher flight frequencies, lower airfares, the presence of low-cost carriers (LCCs), and better connectivity positively influence domestic travel demand. These findings vary across countries, reflecting the diverse economic and infrastructural landscapes of Africa. The study highlights the importance of economic and infrastructural development in boosting domestic air travel across the continent. It suggests that policies aimed at supporting LCCs, enhancing airport connectivity, and promoting economic growth could effectively stimulate domestic air travel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102924"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145463150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102923
Wanting Wu , Xi Chen , Hongchang Li
Air-rail transport for passenger travel is gaining attention as a sustainable solution to urbanization, climate change, and the growing demand for seamless travel. Despite its potential, air-rail cooperation in China remains underdeveloped, primarily due to asymmetric dependency between airlines and China Railway Group (CR). This study aims to investigate the dynamics of this cooperation, focusing on resource sharing, revenue distribution, and collaborative service models. By applying the theory of asymmetric dependency and constructing an evolutionary game model, this research analyzes the strategic interactions between CR and airlines. Additionally, it explores the role of policy tools, including subsidies, tax incentives, and penalties, in fostering sustainable cooperation. To enhance empirical relevance, the study incorporates a case study of the Shanghai Hongqiao hub to calibrate model parameters and bridge theoretical assumptions with real-world operational data. It is found that (1) Asymmetric dependency significantly influences air-rail cooperation, with CR's dominant position in railway resources restricting deeper collaboration and fairer revenue distribution; (2) Resource sharing and fair revenue distribution are crucial for the success of new air-rail cooperation, while collaborative service, though equally important, depends on the successful implementation of these two factors; (3) Economic incentives, such as additional airline revenue from increased occupancy, play a critical role in motivating participation in air-rail cooperation; (4) Punitive measures and subsidy policies reduce cooperation costs, fostering early-stage cooperation, while tax incentives are crucial for optimizing long-term benefit distribution. This research contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying air-rail cooperation and provides practical policy recommendations for enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of air-rail transport systems.
{"title":"Exploring air-rail cooperation in China under asymmetric dependency: An evolutionary game approach","authors":"Wanting Wu , Xi Chen , Hongchang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102923","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102923","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Air-rail transport for passenger travel is gaining attention as a sustainable solution to urbanization, climate change, and the growing demand for seamless travel. Despite its potential, air-rail cooperation in China remains underdeveloped, primarily due to asymmetric dependency between airlines and China Railway Group (CR). This study aims to investigate the dynamics of this cooperation, focusing on resource sharing, revenue distribution, and collaborative service models. By applying the theory of asymmetric dependency and constructing an evolutionary game model, this research analyzes the strategic interactions between CR and airlines. Additionally, it explores the role of policy tools, including subsidies, tax incentives, and penalties, in fostering sustainable cooperation. To enhance empirical relevance, the study incorporates a case study of the Shanghai Hongqiao hub to calibrate model parameters and bridge theoretical assumptions with real-world operational data. It is found that (1) Asymmetric dependency significantly influences air-rail cooperation, with CR's dominant position in railway resources restricting deeper collaboration and fairer revenue distribution; (2) Resource sharing and fair revenue distribution are crucial for the success of new air-rail cooperation, while collaborative service, though equally important, depends on the successful implementation of these two factors; (3) Economic incentives, such as additional airline revenue from increased occupancy, play a critical role in motivating participation in air-rail cooperation; (4) Punitive measures and subsidy policies reduce cooperation costs, fostering early-stage cooperation, while tax incentives are crucial for optimizing long-term benefit distribution. This research contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying air-rail cooperation and provides practical policy recommendations for enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of air-rail transport systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102923"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145463151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102922
Thuong-Truyet Ngo , Nguyen Tan Huynh , Ching-Chiao Yang
This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of Vietnamese airports using a two-stage SBM-DEA model that captures both infrastructure and environmental performance. In the first stage, infrastructure efficiency is assessed through inputs such as terminal area, apron area, and runway area in relation to aircraft movements and fuel burned. The second stage focuses on environmental efficiency, incorporating throughputs and undesirable outputs such as emissions. The results show that only 27.3 % of airports achieve overall efficiency, a proportion significantly lower than the number of airports efficient in individual stages. To investigate potential determinants of performance, a truncated regression model is applied, examining factors such as urban location, hub status, distance to the city center, and population density. The findings reveal that urban location and distance to the city center significantly influence efficiency, while hub status and population density have negligible impacts. This study contributes to the literature by integrating undesirable outputs into a network DEA framework and refining the regression approach to account for contextual variables, offering practical insights for optimizing infrastructure planning and environmental management in Vietnam's aviation sector.
{"title":"A sequential approach to airport efficiency evaluation: Integrating two-stage DEA and truncated regression","authors":"Thuong-Truyet Ngo , Nguyen Tan Huynh , Ching-Chiao Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102922","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102922","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of Vietnamese airports using a two-stage SBM-DEA model that captures both infrastructure and environmental performance. In the first stage, infrastructure efficiency is assessed through inputs such as terminal area, apron area, and runway area in relation to aircraft movements and fuel burned. The second stage focuses on environmental efficiency, incorporating throughputs and undesirable outputs such as emissions. The results show that only 27.3 % of airports achieve overall efficiency, a proportion significantly lower than the number of airports efficient in individual stages. To investigate potential determinants of performance, a truncated regression model is applied, examining factors such as urban location, hub status, distance to the city center, and population density. The findings reveal that urban location and distance to the city center significantly influence efficiency, while hub status and population density have negligible impacts. This study contributes to the literature by integrating undesirable outputs into a network DEA framework and refining the regression approach to account for contextual variables, offering practical insights for optimizing infrastructure planning and environmental management in Vietnam's aviation sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102922"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145416266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102921
Jingcong Sun , Xiang Zhou , Ruiling Han
Air route network (ARN) connectivity is critical to the market coverage of civil aviation transport networks and the development quality of the civil aviation industry. However, existing studies have predominantly focused on its spatial connectivity characteristics. Based on this, this study first identifies 41 hub airports by analyzing the complexity of China's ARN and then analyzes their flight wave systems and characteristics. Further, using the seven air traffic control regions in China as spatial units, it examines the intra-regional and extra-regional route network connectivity characteristics of hub airports. The results indicate that (1) China's complex ARN is conducive to forming a clear hierarchical connectivity of nodes. (2) The number of hub airports with sawtooth flight waves is the highest. (3) Overall, China's hub airports possess strong potential for transfer connectivity. However, ARN connectivity and feeder capacity among the seven air traffic control regions differ in, for example, the high homogeneity of route connections between hub nodes, which increases competition in regional aviation markets; the feeder capacity and coverage of feeder routes from hub nodes are insufficient; and the rationality of route structure requires further improvement. This study fully explores flight schedule resources in addressing ARN connectivity issues. It identifies structural problems in China's ARN from the perspective of flight waves and, for the first time, uses a longer time series to analyze China's hub airport ARN connectivity. The findings provide theoretical support for optimizing aviation network layout and offer guidance for further enhancing airport transfer and feeder capacities.
{"title":"Flight wave identification and spatiotemporal connectivity analysis of air route networks in Chinese hub airports","authors":"Jingcong Sun , Xiang Zhou , Ruiling Han","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102921","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102921","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Air route network (ARN) connectivity is critical to the market coverage of civil aviation transport networks and the development quality of the civil aviation industry. However, existing studies have predominantly focused on its spatial connectivity characteristics. Based on this, this study first identifies 41 hub airports by analyzing the complexity of China's ARN and then analyzes their flight wave systems and characteristics. Further, using the seven air traffic control regions in China as spatial units, it examines the intra-regional and extra-regional route network connectivity characteristics of hub airports. The results indicate that (1) China's complex ARN is conducive to forming a clear hierarchical connectivity of nodes. (2) The number of hub airports with sawtooth flight waves is the highest. (3) Overall, China's hub airports possess strong potential for transfer connectivity. However, ARN connectivity and feeder capacity among the seven air traffic control regions differ in, for example, the high homogeneity of route connections between hub nodes, which increases competition in regional aviation markets; the feeder capacity and coverage of feeder routes from hub nodes are insufficient; and the rationality of route structure requires further improvement. This study fully explores flight schedule resources in addressing ARN connectivity issues. It identifies structural problems in China's ARN from the perspective of flight waves and, for the first time, uses a longer time series to analyze China's hub airport ARN connectivity. The findings provide theoretical support for optimizing aviation network layout and offer guidance for further enhancing airport transfer and feeder capacities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102921"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145416404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
As the aviation industry targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) also encourages member states to adopt initiatives to improve air quality by addressing other pollutants. Some airport operators voluntarily evaluate their impact on air quality. Limited literature is available on air quality assessment methods around airports. This paper proposes a refined ICAO air quality model focused on the taxiing phase, customised for both aircraft and airport specifics, providing more accurate emission estimates than the standard model. This enhanced model enables airport operators, airlines, and general aviation operators to create more precise air pollutant emission inventories. Additionally, the results indicate that per-passenger emissions of CO, NOx, HC, and SOx during taxiing are higher in general aviation than for commercial flights at the selected Australian airport case study, with CO emissions around 71 times higher. Consequently, general aviation flights should be included in airport emission inventories due to their significant contribution. In the Australian airport case study, the A330 commercial aircraft and the BE76 general aviation aircraft show the highest CO emissions per passenger during taxiing. Therefore, airlines and general aviation operators should increasingly consider per-passenger emissions during the taxiing phase, along with other factors, in their fleet and operational decisions.
{"title":"Modeling aircraft emissions during the taxiing phase to assess air quality impacts: An Australian airport case study","authors":"Manori Dissanayaka , Tim Ryley , Bojana Spasojevic , Savindi Caldera","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102918","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102918","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the aviation industry targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) also encourages member states to adopt initiatives to improve air quality by addressing other pollutants. Some airport operators voluntarily evaluate their impact on air quality. Limited literature is available on air quality assessment methods around airports. This paper proposes a refined ICAO air quality model focused on the taxiing phase, customised for both aircraft and airport specifics, providing more accurate emission estimates than the standard model. This enhanced model enables airport operators, airlines, and general aviation operators to create more precise air pollutant emission inventories. Additionally, the results indicate that per-passenger emissions of CO, NOx, HC, and SOx during taxiing are higher in general aviation than for commercial flights at the selected Australian airport case study, with CO emissions around 71 times higher. Consequently, general aviation flights should be included in airport emission inventories due to their significant contribution. In the Australian airport case study, the A330 commercial aircraft and the BE76 general aviation aircraft show the highest CO emissions per passenger during taxiing. Therefore, airlines and general aviation operators should increasingly consider per-passenger emissions during the taxiing phase, along with other factors, in their fleet and operational decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102918"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145416405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-26DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102920
Yi Gao, Jiayu Liu
Frequent flyer programs (FFPs) have evolved from simple mileage-based loyalty schemes into sophisticated, revenue-generating entities that play a central role in airline business models. This study conducts a systematic literature review of 107 academic papers on airline FFPs, synthesizing research across ten thematic areas, including their historical development, financial and operational structures, consumer benefits, behavioral impacts, and competitive implications. The review highlights how FFPs enhance airline profitability through increased customer retention, fare premiums, and partnerships with financial institutions, while also serving as strategic tools to maintain market dominance. However, findings reveal that while FFPs successfully drive short-term behavioral loyalty—particularly among elite-tier members—their ability to foster long-term emotional loyalty remains uncertain. Studies indicate that perceived benefits vary across traveler segments, with business travelers and frequent flyers valuing status and exclusivity, while leisure travelers prioritize monetary savings and redemption flexibility. FFPs also create significant switching costs, limiting competition and enabling dominant airlines to command fare premiums, particularly at hub airports. The review further examines challenges such as status demotion, fairness perceptions, regulatory scrutiny, and liability management, alongside emerging trends in personalization, gamification, and technology integration. Identified research gaps include the long-term financial sustainability of FFPs, the psychological mechanisms driving member engagement, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence and big data in loyalty management. Addressing these areas will be crucial for airlines to refine their FFP strategies and maintain customer trust in an increasingly dynamic and competitive aviation landscape.
{"title":"Frequent flyer programs in academic studies: A literature review of research progress since 2000","authors":"Yi Gao, Jiayu Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102920","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Frequent flyer programs (FFPs) have evolved from simple mileage-based loyalty schemes into sophisticated, revenue-generating entities that play a central role in airline business models. This study conducts a systematic literature review of 107 academic papers on airline FFPs, synthesizing research across ten thematic areas, including their historical development, financial and operational structures, consumer benefits, behavioral impacts, and competitive implications. The review highlights how FFPs enhance airline profitability through increased customer retention, fare premiums, and partnerships with financial institutions, while also serving as strategic tools to maintain market dominance. However, findings reveal that while FFPs successfully drive short-term behavioral loyalty—particularly among elite-tier members—their ability to foster long-term emotional loyalty remains uncertain. Studies indicate that perceived benefits vary across traveler segments, with business travelers and frequent flyers valuing status and exclusivity, while leisure travelers prioritize monetary savings and redemption flexibility. FFPs also create significant switching costs, limiting competition and enabling dominant airlines to command fare premiums, particularly at hub airports. The review further examines challenges such as status demotion, fairness perceptions, regulatory scrutiny, and liability management, alongside emerging trends in personalization, gamification, and technology integration. Identified research gaps include the long-term financial sustainability of FFPs, the psychological mechanisms driving member engagement, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence and big data in loyalty management. Addressing these areas will be crucial for airlines to refine their FFP strategies and maintain customer trust in an increasingly dynamic and competitive aviation landscape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102920"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145416265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-25DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102919
Jun Tang
Despite the promising development of the low-altitude economy, its economic and environmental effects remain largely unexplored. This study investigates the effects of a low-altitude economy on economic growth and environmental protection and its mechanisms. Based on the panel data of 282 Chinese cities from 2012 to 2022, a synthetic difference-in-difference model and a causal mediator model are adopted to empirically test the effects of the low-altitude economy on total factor productivity and carbon emissions and its mechanisms. The findings indicate that (1) low-altitude economy enhances the city's total factor productivity while adding to the carbon emission intensity. (2) The low-altitude economy primarily drives economic growth through mechanisms such as technological innovation, resource allocation, and industrial upgrading. (3) The low-altitude economy influences carbon emissions by utilizing mechanisms related to energy efficiency and energy structure. Due to its reliance on fossil fuels, the low-altitude economy significantly offsets the contribution of energy efficiency enhancement to emission reduction. (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the low-altitude economy exerts a more significant effect on plain regions, while its effect is more pronounced in regions with both high and low road network density.
{"title":"Can low altitude economy development bring economic and environmental dividends? --evidence from Chinese cities","authors":"Jun Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102919","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102919","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the promising development of the low-altitude economy, its economic and environmental effects remain largely unexplored. This study investigates the effects of a low-altitude economy on economic growth and environmental protection and its mechanisms. Based on the panel data of 282 Chinese cities from 2012 to 2022, a synthetic difference-in-difference model and a causal mediator model are adopted to empirically test the effects of the low-altitude economy on total factor productivity and carbon emissions and its mechanisms. The findings indicate that (1) low-altitude economy enhances the city's total factor productivity while adding to the carbon emission intensity. (2) The low-altitude economy primarily drives economic growth through mechanisms such as technological innovation, resource allocation, and industrial upgrading. (3) The low-altitude economy influences carbon emissions by utilizing mechanisms related to energy efficiency and energy structure. Due to its reliance on fossil fuels, the low-altitude economy significantly offsets the contribution of energy efficiency enhancement to emission reduction. (4) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the low-altitude economy exerts a more significant effect on plain regions, while its effect is more pronounced in regions with both high and low road network density.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102919"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145358574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102916
Konstantinos Pechlivanis , Dimitrios Ziakkas
{"title":"Prompt engineering in generative AI applications for commercial single pilot operations (SiPO): An emerging competency","authors":"Konstantinos Pechlivanis , Dimitrios Ziakkas","doi":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102916","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jairtraman.2025.102916","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14925,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Air Transport Management","volume":"131 ","pages":"Article 102916"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145358853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}