According to the Encyclopedia of Transportation: Social Science and Policy, focus cities are defined as a “ destination from which an airline operates limited point-to-point routes.”īy extension, a focus city appeals to the “local” instead of connecting markets much more than a hub city. We discussed what hub airports are in the above section, so let’s briefly touch on focus cities. However, with technological advances from fuel-efficient aircraft and a greater appetite for convenient nonstop flights in the point-to-point model, the hub-and-spoke model is quickly losing favor. If an airline can fill larger aircraft easily, it will realize significant cost savings. That means customers can fly on lesser-known routes like from New York City (JFK) to Chongqing (CKG) without having to inconveniently stop in Beijing (PEK) or Shanghai (PVG).īottom Line: An airline hub is advantageous because air transportation can be consolidated into 1 destination, which allows for a greater scale. Image Credit: Hainan AirlinesĪs you can tell, Hainan Airlines operates several different flights and covers a lot of area with its point-to-point network. Hainan Airlines can operate unique routes with fuel-efficient aircraft with its point-to-point model. On the flip-side, let’s look at Hainan Airlines’ international route network below: This is consistent with the hub-and-spoke philosophy, which is capable of funneling travelers across the world via its hub in Abu Dhabi. Most of Etihad’s flights go through Abu Dhabi. To visualize, check out Etihad’s route network:Įtihad’s route network is a perfect example of a hub-and-spoke model. For example, a point-to-point Hainan Airlines flight from New York City (JFK) to Chengdu (CTU) is operated using a 787-9, and Air China operates a hub-and-spoke route from New York City (JFK) to Beijing (PEK) using a 747-8, which can hold more passengers. Generally, smaller planes are used on point-to-point routes due to the lower demand relative to massive hub-and-spoke routes. Image Credit: The Geography of Transport Systems Airlines like Southwest, Hainan Airlines, Ryanair, and easyJet are some of the best examples of point-to-point airlines.Point-to-Point: Point-to-point airlines operate numerous smaller flights, regardless of capacity or size, thereby eliminating the need to connect at a hub city.Airlines like Qantas, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, and EL AL are some of the best examples of hub and spoke airlines.
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