Assessing airport ground access by public transport in Chinese cities

Abstract

This article assesses airport ground access by public transport in China. Recent literature has highlighted the economic, environmental and social significance of airport ground access. Existing studies on airport ground access have predominately centred on North America and Europe and, to date, limited attempts have been made to assess the emerging Chinese market. Studies of urban and transport geography have detailed the shifting air connectivity of Chinese cities and the economic impacts, but have paid little attention to ground access to airports. We, therefore, assess the ground accessibility to major Chinese airports based on online map services. Specifically, we characterise airport ground access across entire cities, as well as comparing time and monetary costs for travelling between airports and city centres by private car and public transport. We conclude with suggestions for future research, and call for more systematic data collection related to airport ground access.