IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE : A Hypothetical Studies for a New Travel Hub Between Europe and Asia

Abstract: The development of air transport industry contributes to the economic growth worldwide. It evolves from a luxury form of transportation to an affordable and quick way to move between places. The airline operation model evolves from a traditional point-to-point operation to a hub-and-spoke model, where airline funnels passenger through a centralized location called hub. This model, while reducing operational cost and increasing connectivity, is also adding more time and distance to one’s journey. The development in aircraft technology however, allows airline to by-pass the traditional hub and fly directly to their destination with a longer-range aircraft with a low capacity, somehow returning to the original operational model of point-to-point flight. However, this new type of aircraft also allows airline to reach a smaller destination that didn’t justify the use of the high-capacity aircraft that was traditionally used on this long-haul flight. Aside from the lower acquisition cost, this smaller aircraft also burns less fuel and reduce the airline financial risk.   The study was focused on locating a new hypothetical hub to connect Europe with Eastern Asia, the top two aviation market by passenger number. This new hub will be strategically located between the two markets, unlike the current Middle-Eastern hub that requires a significant detour. The Buffer Tool that is available in ArcGIS will be utilized to draw a radius between each airport in the study area, where the radius’ values were based on the range of the Airbus A321NEO (New Engine Option). Area with the most intersection will be further analyzed to determine the most reasonable location for the new hub, based on the airport infrastructure and the country’s socio-economic index.   The result of this study shows that the Central Asian region has the most overlapping circle, with the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan emerged as the most potential location for this new hub. The geographical advantage, backed by a relatively strong economy and stable socio-political condition, made Almaty left the other candidates behind.