Xu Xu, Liu Jicheng, Jiang Jialin, Lin Bo, Li Linna
College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
Laboratory of Ecological Civilization and Environmental Management, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 13;15(1):25330. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11639-x.
The interconnection of transport infrastructure is a priority area under the Belt and Road Initiative and holds significant implications for global socio-economic development. Air network connectivity plays a vital role in shaping transport efficiency. From a global air transport network perspective, this study investigates the spatial evolution of China's international air cargo network connectivity between 1996 and 2019. Using OAG global flight schedule data from five representative years (1996, 2002, 2008, 2014, and 2019), we apply complex network theory and graph-theoretical methods, incorporating tools such as UciNet and ArcMap. Three key indicators, weighted degree centrality, betweenness centrality, and K-core decomposition, are employed to analyze changes, evolutionary patterns, and driving factors of network connectivity. The findings reveal that with shifting global economic and policy environments, China's air cargo network connectivity has gradually strengthened, with an increasingly hierarchical structure and more diversified and efficient network forms. Freighter and bellyhold cargo routes differ markedly in network evolution: freighter routes display a stable core-periphery structure shaped by industrial and policy factors, while bellyhold routes evolve path-dependently alongside passenger services, shifting from concentration to decentralization. This study demonstrates the dynamic restructuring of China's international air cargo connectivity under the dual forces of globalization and regionalization. It provides theoretical insights and decision-making references for enhancing China's air transport efficiency and supporting the implementation of the Belt and Road vision, thereby contributing to the advancement of global integration.
交通基础设施互联互通是“一带一路”倡议下的一个优先领域，对全球社会经济发展具有重大意义。航空网络连通性在塑造运输效率方面发挥着至关重要的作用。从全球航空运输网络的角度来看，本研究考察了1996年至2019年间中国国际航空货运网络连通性的空间演变。利用五个代表性年份（1996年、2002年、2008年、2014年和2019年）的OAG全球航班时刻表数据，我们应用复杂网络理论和图论方法，并结合UciNet和ArcMap等工具。采用加权度中心性、中介中心性和K核分解这三个关键指标来分析网络连通性的变化、演变模式和驱动因素。研究结果表明，随着全球经济和政策环境的变化，中国航空货运网络连通性逐渐增强，结构层次日益分明，网络形式更加多样化和高效。货机航线和腹舱货运航线在网络演变方面存在显著差异：货机航线呈现出由产业和政策因素塑造的稳定核心-边缘结构，而腹舱航线则随着客运服务路径依赖式演变，从集中走向分散。本研究展示了在全球化和区域化双重力量作用下中国国际航空货运连通性的动态重构。它为提高中国航空运输效率和支持“一带一路”愿景的实施提供了理论见解和决策参考，从而推动全球一体化进程。
