Analysis of the Impact of Abandoned Direct Air Routes on Inter-regional Passenger Travel Flows in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, the number of abandoned domestic air routes has been increased after the aviation market deregulation especially in regional air route with less passenger demand. Some of the local governments have started their own subsidy schemes and also the central government is now considering new support scheme for sustainable regional air network. As a fundamental study for considering the effect of maintain a direct regional air route and the criteria for the subsidy, this study examines the actual changes in inter-regional passenger volume and route choice behaviors after abandoning the direct domestic regional air route in Japan. By developing the air route choice model based on the aggregate logit model, the factors which affect passengers’ air route choice behaviors and the relationship between the change in the generalized travel cost and the change in the inter-regional passenger volume are discussed.