Scale-free Networks in the Presence of Constraints: An Empirical Investigation of the Airline Route Network

Classifying the types of networks has been a focus of analysis in the recent, small-world research. A unifying theory has been introduced to provide an integrative perspective on the statistical properties of a variety of real-world networks. This theory postulates that the existence of constraints deters the emergence of a scale-free network. For example, the theory argues that the constraints of airport capacity limit the growth of air traffic, blocking the emergence of a scale-free network. We challenge this argument by reexamining the context of the airline industry. We empirically show that the U. S. airline route network is a scale-free network despite the presence of capacity constraints. We propose a new avenue for future research.

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