Abstract
This paper examines the ‘hub-ness’ of Asian major cities in terms of international air traffic flows and analyzes the effects of new airports on the hub-ness of cities. After evaluating the international air network structures in Asia for 1982, 1990 and 2000, the degrees of hub-ness for prospective seven major cities in Asia from 1982 to 2000 are clarified by a basic gravity model composed of GDP, population and distance introducing ‘city-dummy variables’. The effects of Kansai International Airport (KIX) on the hub-ness of Osaka are also examined by panel data analysis introducing ‘new airport-dummy variable’. The results reveal that Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore are strengthening their positions as international air transportation hubs in this region. From the temporal analysis, the hub-ness of Hong Kong and Seoul is remarkably on the rise. On top of these cities, Osaka is having larger and larger hub-ness in virtue of KIX.
