Optimization of Urban Route Networks of China's Four World-Class Airport Agglomerations Based on Air Accessibility

Abstract

Measuring and analyzing the air accessibility of each airport city in world-class airport agglomerations is a prerequisite for optimizing the design of the route network and contributing to the function of high-quality power sources such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. This paper calculates the air accessibility of 42 cities located in China's four world-class airport agglomerations using the weighted frequency air accessibility model, and finds that the air accessibility of each airport city shows a pattern of vertical steady improvement and horizontal polarization. The accessibility of international hubs, regional hubs, and non-hub cities shows a significant gradient decline. Thus, this paper suggests that it is necessary to encipher the air express links between international and regional hubs to create a high-frequency, high-quality route network to stabilize the air express base; hub airports should drive the development of non-hub airports to realize the development of the “trunk and branch" linkage; and the coordinated development of the airport agglomeration should be promoted to support the function of high-quality power source of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and other places.