Liao Maozhu, Wu Chuntao, Yan Hongmeng
Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia, 2053 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada.
School of Tourism, Sichuan University, No. 2 South Section, Yihuan Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, PR China.
J Air Transp Manag. 2022 Oct;105:102282. doi: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2022.102282. Epub 2022 Aug 12.
This study conducts a detailed analysis of the response of China's low-cost carriers (LCCs) to the threats posed by the pandemic from a route network perspective, aiming to explore the resilience of LCCs and Chinese airlines. Using geographic visualization and network analysis, we evaluate and compare the network connectivity of each Chinese LCC to see the change patterns, then elaborate on the network connection of Spring Airlines. The major results are: the LCC sector has not recovered, but some of them exceed the pre-pandemic levels in a less deregulated environment; different LCCs show different recovery patterns; Spring Airlines outperforms the other four LCCs in terms of network connectivity. The recovery process is supported by various external factors, such as the reduction of new confirmed COVID-19 local cases and international flights, the re-open of inter-provincial tour groups and tourism demand, the nationwide rebound activities promoted by the central government, and the supporting policies, especially new slot allocation processes issued by CAAC. The case study further indicates the effects of high-speed rail (HSR) and regional subsidy measures on the tactical actions of Springs in route planning. This paper serves as a referential case for the LCCs worldwide and has good application for the recovery of other LCCs in other countries. Moreover, the study conducted in this time window offers a chance to assess the development of Chinese airlines in a not fully deregulated aviation environment. It contributes to the debate on the theory of air network resilience.
本研究从航线网络角度对中国低成本航空公司（LCC）应对疫情威胁的情况进行了详细分析，旨在探究低成本航空公司及中国航空公司的恢复能力。通过地理可视化和网络分析，我们评估并比较了各中国低成本航空公司的网络连通性，以观察其变化模式，进而阐述春秋航空的网络连接情况。主要结果如下：低成本航空部门尚未恢复，但其中一些公司在管制较松的环境下超过了疫情前水平；不同的低成本航空公司呈现出不同的恢复模式；春秋航空在网络连通性方面表现优于其他四家低成本航空公司。恢复过程受到多种外部因素的支持，如新冠肺炎本土新增确诊病例和国际航班减少、跨省旅游团及旅游需求重新开放、中央政府推动的全国性复苏活动以及相关扶持政策，特别是民航局发布的新航班时刻分配程序。案例研究进一步表明了高铁（HSR）和地区补贴措施对春秋航空航线规划战术行动的影响。本文为全球低成本航空公司提供了一个参考案例，对其他国家的低成本航空公司恢复运营具有良好的借鉴作用。此外，在这个时间窗口进行的研究为评估中国航空公司在尚未完全放开管制的航空环境中的发展提供了契机。它有助于推动关于航空网络恢复能力理论的辩论。
