Complex Network view of performance and risks on Airport Networks

Air transportation has been becoming a major part of transportation infrastructure worldwide. Hence the study of the Airports Networks, the backbone of air transportation, is becoming increasingly important. In complex systems domain, airport networks are modeled as graphs (networks) comprising of airports (vertices or nodes) that are linked by flight connectivities among the airports. A complex network analysis of such a model offers holistic insight about the performance and risks in such a network. We review the performance and risks of networks with the help of studies that have been done on some of the airport networks. We present various network parameters those could be potentially used as a measure of performance and risks on airport networks. We will also see how various risks, such as break down of airports, spread of diseases across the airport network could be assessed based on the network parameters. Further we review how these insights could possibly be used to shape more efficient and safer airport networks.