Characterisation of the homogeneous development of hub airports in the Yangtze River Delta airport cluster

Abstract

To reasonably analyze and position the development pattern of the Yangtze River Delta Airport Cluster, and to form a differentiated development with reasonable allocation of resources, a similarity coefficient calculation model is constructed. This model considers the factors of the cities where the airports are located and the airport route networks to analyze the homogeneous development characteristics among the hub airports of the Yangtze River Delta airport cluster. Firstly, a similarity coefficient evaluation index system is constructed. Then, the similarity coefficient method is used to analyze the similarity coefficient between airports under each measurement index. Finally, the comprehensive similarity coefficient is calculated by the comprehensive empowerment evaluation method to comprehensively evaluate the degree of homogenization of the development of airports. The results show that: 1. The flight frequency factor between airports, i.e. the number of flights on routes with the same destination, has the greatest influence on the homogeneity between airports. 2. Hangzhou and Ningbo have the greatest degree of homogeneity due to the proximity of their airports and their comparable airport sizes. 3. The airports of Hefei and Wenzhou do not constitute an undeniable homogeneous competitive relationship. The research results provide a reference basis for promoting the high-quality development of civil aviation and the differentiated and linked development of the Yangtze River Delta airport cluster.