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On the degree of synchronization between air transport connectivity and COVID-19 cases at worldwide level

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  • Sun, Xiaoqian
  • Wandelt, Sebastian
  • Zhang, Anming

Abstract

COVID-19 is one of the most impactful pandemics in recent history, not only in terms of direct casualties but also regarding socio-economic impact. The goal of our study is to investigate the degree of synchronization between the number of confirmed cases in specific countries, on one hand, and how/at which stage these countries adapted their air transportation operations, on the other hand. We investigate the global air transportation system as a network of countries whose edges represent the existence of direct flights. Aggregated analysis of this country network and its evolving dynamics leads to novel insights regarding the synchronization with the number of confirmed cases; finding that most country borders were likely closed too late. We believe and hope that our analysis leads to a more efficient/effective prevention and control of future epidemics.

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  • Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "On the degree of synchronization between air transport connectivity and COVID-19 cases at worldwide level," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 115-123.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:105:y:2021:i:c:p:115-123
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.03.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    5. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Technological and educational challenges towards pandemic-resilient aviation," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 104-115.
    6. Chen, Yuting & Fuellhart, Kurt & Grubesic, Tony H. & Zhang, Shengrun & Witlox, Frank, 2024. "An analysis of the context factors influencing the diverse response of airports to COVID-19 using panel and group regression," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    7. Mutascu, Mihai & Sokic, Alexandre, 2023. "Air transportation under COVID-19 pandemic restrictions: A wavelet analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 155-181.
    8. He, Hang & Wu, Hanjun & Tsui, Kan Wai Hong & Wang, Biao & Fu, Xiaowen, 2024. "Spatiotemporal evolution of air cargo networks and its impact on economic development - An analysis of China's domestic market before and during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    9. Min Su & Baoyang Hu & Yipeng Jiang & Zhenchao Zhang & Zeyang Li, 2022. "Relationship between the Chinese Main Air Transport Network and COVID-19 Pandemic Transmission," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(13), pages 1-17, July.
    10. Li, Siping & Xu, Gangyan & Zhou, Yaoming, 2023. "How air transport networks respond to long-lasting disruptive events like COVID-19: The first step toward long-term resilience," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    11. Li, Tao & Rong, Lili & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Assessing regional risk of COVID-19 infection from Wuhan via high-speed rail," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 226-238.
    12. Choi, Youngran & Zou, Li & Dresner, Martin, 2022. "The effects of air transport mobility and global connectivity on viral transmission: Lessons learned from Covid-19 and its variants," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 22-30.
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    14. Sun, Long Long & Hu, Ya Peng & Zhu, Chen Ping, 2023. "Scaling invariance in domestic passenger flight delays in the United States," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 611(C).
    15. Li, Siping & Zhou, Yaoming & Kundu, Tanmoy & Sheu, Jiuh-Biing, 2021. "Spatiotemporal variation of the worldwide air transportation network induced by COVID-19 pandemic in 2020," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 168-184.
    16. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2021. "Delayed reaction towards emerging COVID-19 variants of concern: Does history repeat itself?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 203-215.
    17. Kuo, Pei-Fen & Brawiswa Putra, I Gede & Setiawan, Faizal Azmi & Wen, Tzai-Hung & Chiu, Chui-Sheng & Sulistyah, Umroh Dian, 2022. "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on O-D flow and airport networks in the origin country and in Northeast Asia," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    18. Su, Junbiao & Wu, Hanjun & Tsui, Kan Wai Hong & Fu, Xiaowen & Lei, Zheng, 2023. "Aviation resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of the European aviation market," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    19. Xiaoqian Sun & Sebastian Wandelt & Hartmut Fricke & Judith Rosenow, 2021. "The Impact of COVID-19 on Air Transportation Network in the United States, Europe, and China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-11, August.
    20. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2022. "Ghostbusters: Hunting abnormal flights in Europe during COVID-19," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 203-217.
    21. Morton E. O’Kelly & Yongha Park, 2023. "Contrasts in Sustainability between Hub-Based and Point-to-Point Airline Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.
    22. Di Liang & Jieyi Wang & Ran Bhamra & Liezhao Lu & Yuting Li, 2022. "A Multi-Service Composition Model for Tasks in Cloud Manufacturing Based on VS–ABC Algorithm," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(21), pages 1-24, October.
    23. Sun, Xiaoqian & Wandelt, Sebastian & Zhang, Anming, 2022. "STARTUPS: Founding airlines during COVID-19 - A hopeless endeavor or an ample opportunity for a better aviation system?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 10-19.
    24. Patrick Urrutia & David Wren & Chrysafis Vogiatzis & Ruriko Yoshida, 2022. "SARS-CoV-2 Dissemination Using a Network of the US Counties," SN Operations Research Forum, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 1-23, June.
    25. Sugishita, Kashin & Mizutani, Hiroki & Hanaoka, Shinya, 2024. "Disruption and recovery of the US domestic airline networks during the COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).

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