Martijn Brons

Price elasticities of demand for passenger air travel: a meta-analysis

This discussion paper resulted in an article in the Journal of Air Transport Management (2002). Volume 8, issue 3, pages 165-175. The demand for air transport is largely determined by the spending capacity of customers. Thispaper aims to offer more insight into the determinants of price elasticities in the aviation sector. Itseeks to identify both common and contrasting factors that influence the price elasticities, on thebasis of a comparative analysis among a large number of empirical studies in this field. By meansof meta-analytical methods the relative importance of several driving forces (e.g., distance, type ofticket, nature of study etc.) is investigated.

Quality of hub-and-spoke networks; the effects of timetable co-ordination on waiting time and rescheduling time

Low frequencies of aircraft may have substantial negative effects on scheduling costs and waiting costs at hub airports. Appropriate timetabling of carriers will reduce these costs. In this paper we propose a measure for the quality of the co-ordination of timetables by carriers in hub airports. An application is given for four large European airports. We find that large airports such as London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle have longer waiting times than the smaller airports Frankfurt and Schiphol even though one would expect shorter waiting times given the higher frequencies of service. The reason is that the flight co-ordination is less efficient and this is clearly reflected by the values of the flight co-ordination coefficient developed in this paper.

RAILROAD NOISE: ECONOMIC VALUATION AND POLICY

Abstract In developed countries noise annoyance is an important source of environmental concern. Research on noise annoyance caused by railroad traffic is relatively underdeveloped. Here, a causal chain model is presented in which railroad traffic density, noise emission, noise immission and noise annoyance are causally related. Noise level, habituation and railroad usage are determinant factors. Noise annoyance causes social and economic costs, such as property value depreciation. Policy measures, aimed at reducing social and economic costs, are incorporated in various stages of the causal model. These measures can be subdivided into noise regulation and direct prevention measures. Stricter threshold values lead to higher total costs, but may lower social costs per capita. Economic feasibility of policy measures is usually analyzed by means of a cost-benefit case study. Methods of analysis used are diverse and ad hoc. Therefore, results of different case studies are not easily compared in terms of research synthesis.

Comparative Study of HUB Airports in Europe: Ticket Prices, Travel Time and Rescheduling Costs

This paper investigates the strategic position of four European airports in the aviation network by means of a generalised cost function. We compare the performance of the hub airports London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Our analysis entails flights from smaller European airports via these hubs to intercontinental destinations and vice versa. The comparative positions of the cities in the airport network is determined by a generalised cost function in which travel cost, travel time and rescheduling time (as a function of the frequency of the service) are included. Copyright Royal Dutch Geographical Society 2000.

Beyond Punctuality: Appropriate Measures for Unreliability in Rail Passenger Transport

Increasing levels of congestion, a growing awareness of climate change, and the notion of peak oil constitute some of the most important global challenges today. European policy making views the promotion of sustainable mobility as one of the key objectives of transport policy. Railway is the natural backbone of any sustainable transport system, offering efficient transport built on social equity, low carbon emissions, low environmental impacts and positive economic growth. Hence, improving the position of the railways is one of the pillars of the transition towards sustainable mobility. Maintaining rail service quality is safeguarded by policy makers through concessions in which railway operators are typically held accountable for measurable indicators of quality aspects, such as punctuality.