Effects of Factors Affecting Air Route Frequency

航線航班頻次影響因素之效果探討

Using a quantile regression methodology, this paper presents an explorative analysis of the factors driving route traffic and examines the heterogeneity of factors that affect route flight frequency. The results indicate that factors related to airline operations indeed exhibit a heterogeneous effect on various markets. Notably, the factor effects of having low-cost carriers (LCCs) in operation and the rate of codeshare flights showed a descending effect as the quantiles increase. This finding implies that routes in the low quantiles may represent an under-cultivated market, the potential of which is not yet fully exploited. On the other hand, routes in the upper quantiles represent markets that are fully exploited and tend to be mature. Thus, the under-cultivated markets are a supply-driven niche. As a consequence, LCCs and codeshare flights can boost and enhance the potential of the market. Compared to enhancing factors, route distance showed a relatively larger elasticity of impedance in fully exploited markets. This study highlights the heterogeneous effect of the affecting factors on route frequency. The findings provide very insightful information for airlines, airport operators, and policy-makers in developing their business strategies for various route markets.

為探討各航線航班頻次影響因素在不同特性的航空市場是否具有異質性的影響效果，本研究對影響因素進行探索與分析，並以分量迴歸模式檢視影響因素的效果。結果顯示機場運量、航線距離、是否有低成本航空營運、共用班號的航班比例等因素確實對航班頻次具有異質性的影響效果。對需求量偏低、尚未完全開發的航線市場而言，其屬於供給導向之利基市場，引進低成本航空公司營運或提高共用班號的航班比例，對航班頻次所產生的增加效果，明顯大於在已發展成熟的市場。至航線距離的影響效果，相較於尚未完全開發的航線市場，在發展成熟的市場顯示出具較大彈性的影響。此一研究成果可供航空公司、機場營運及決策者，於訂定各種市場發展策略時之參考及指引。