Airline Network Adjustment in Response to Noise Charge and Performance Assessment for Airport Noise Charge Policies

• Main Authors: Pei-Hui Lin, 林佩憓
• Other Authors: Chaug-Ing Hsu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2001
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/03804904349405851553

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 運輸工程與管理系 === 89 === The continued growth of air transportation has decreased dramatically the travel cost and travel time. However, it also has generated tremendous noise pollution at major airports around the world. Therefore, the noise charge has been generally introduced at major airports in order to internalize noise externalities. In response to airport levy, airlines may adjust network structure to alleviate its impacts on their operation costs. Previous literature on airline network design usually downplayed noise externality. Nero and Black(1998) focused on the environmental externalities using a conceptual spatial model and addressed the environmental impacts related to extensive hubbing. Others discussed the impacts of airport noise charge on airline flight frequencies, aircraft choices and routing policy by using economic concepts and case studies. However, no literature has combined network model and economic theory to formulate theoretical models on analyzing airline network adjustment in response to airport noise levy. Different airports usually levy various aircraft noise fee according to aircraft types and airport noise budget. So airlines may redesign its network structure and alter flight frequencies and aircraft types considering noise charge. This research aims to explore different airport noise charge policies, to investigate the airline network design considering aircraft noise charge, and to analyze the performance of airport noise charge policy from multiple perspectives. The study identifies airline cost function and formulates an airline network design model by minimizing airline operating cost to determine the optimal air routes and flight frequencies and aircraft types in response to airport noise charge. Furthermore, the study discusses the context of several noise charge policies, and investigates the impact of these policies on airline costs and network structure. Since airlines’ decisions on aircraft routes and flight frequencies in response to the airport noise charge will influence the footprint of pollution around each airport node. Therefore, the study further uses equivalent steady sound level to quantify aircraft noise and to assess airport noise charge performance. Furthermore, the study formulates a multiobjective model to assess the performance of different noise charge policies by evaluating changes in airport operation costs and operation revenues, the welfare of airport residents nearby, and the operation cost of regulated airlines. An empirical example illustrates the application and usefulness of the model. The results show that airlines may change aircraft routes and flight frequencies in response to the airport noise charge. The hub airport noise fee also may influence airlines’ network decision. If most of airlines incline to use bigger aircrafts and fewer frequencies in response to the airport noise charge, the social cost caused by airport noise will decrease. Finally, airport landing fee setting will influence the extent of noise charge on controlling social costs. It is envisaged that the results of the developed models not only shed light on airline network design and airport noise policy literatures, but also provide guidance on network adjustment for airlines in response to noise charge and on airport noise charge policy assessment for airport authority.