Network Analysis of US Air Transportation Network

There has been a considerable growth in interest in network analysis. Air transportation networks are regarded as complex networks which are full of dynamics and complexity. This study focuses on the US air transportation network, which is one of the most diverse and dynamic transportation networks in the world. All of the data are drawn from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The topology features show that the network is a scale-free small-world network; the degree distribution follows a truncated power law. The network also confirms the 9/11 impact on the US air travel industry. A discrete dynamic model is constructed to investigate the evolution of the network. Our analysis offers direct confirmation for the existence of preferential attachment in the air transportation network. We conclude that both an aging effect and preferential attachment are the two mechanisms driving the network evolution.

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