Network structures in air transportation: A comprehensive review of applications and challenges

Air transportation and its subsystems constitute complex systems with various interactions between its components. This leads to an ubiquitous presence of networks in many aspects of the industry, be it in the context of connectivity, efficiency, or resilience. This study presents a comprehensive survey of existing literature about networks and their usage in air transportation, highlighting the critical role that network structures play for the industry. Our review encompasses various types and dimensions of air transport-related networks. The application areas in our review cover, among others, connectivity/efficiency analysis, resilience, delay propagation, disease spreading, strategic airline planning, as well as operational airline scheduling. For each subject, we highlight advancements in network modeling and simulation techniques, alongside pointers into empirical studies that provide insights into the real-world application of network theories in air transport. By synthesizing findings from diverse research streams and publication venues, our review aims to identify existing overlaps/potential synergies and also reports on emerging trends, gaps, and future research directions.