Airline hub

An airline hub is a central airport used by one or more airlines to concentrate passenger traffic. This system is known as the hub-and-spoke model. In this model, an airline operates flights from several non-hub cities, called spokes, to a central hub airport. Passengers traveling between these spoke cities connect through the hub to reach their final destinations.

This paradigm creates economies of scale. It allows an airline to serve city-pairs that would not be profitable to serve with nonstop flights. Hubs also serve origin and destination traffic, meaning people start or end their journeys there.

The mechanism of a hub relies on organized flight timing. Airlines often operate banks of flights at their hubs. These banks are periods where many flights arrive and depart within a short time. These periods are known as peaks of activity, while the quiet times are called valleys. Banking allows for short connection times for passengers. However, it requires many resources to handle the sudden influx of flights. Having many aircraft on the ground at once can lead to congestion and delays. To avoid this, some airlines use a rolling hub. This is also called depeaking. In a rolling hub, arrivals and departures are spread throughout the day. While this can lower costs, it often results in longer connection times.

There are several distinct types of hub operations. A cargo hub is an airport primarily operated by a cargo airline. These use the hub-and-spoke system to move goods efficiently. Examples include the FedEx Memphis Superhub and the UPS Louisville Worldport.

Another type is the scissor hub. In a scissor hub, many flights to one destination land and deplane passengers at the same time. After a transit period, these same planes depart for their next destinations. This creates a pattern similar to the blades of scissors. Some passenger airlines also operate focus cities. A focus city is a destination where an airline operates limited point-to-point routes. These cities mainly cater to local travelers rather than connecting passengers.

The history of hubs changed significantly in the United States. Before 1978, most US airlines used a point-to-point system. This meant they offered nonstop flights between cities without a central hub. During this time, the Civil Aeronautics Board dictated which routes airlines could fly. However, some companies began to experiment with the hub-and-spoke model. Delta Air Lines was the first to implement this system. They used their Atlanta hub to provide service to remote spoke cities. After deregulation in 1978, many other airlines established their own hub networks.

In the Middle East, the rise of hubs transformed regional travel. In 1974, several nations controlled Gulf Air. Over time, new airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways were founded. These airlines established large hubs at their home airports.

These hubs have become popular stopover points for trips between Europe and Asia. For example, Qatar Airways uses Doha Airport as a major hub. By March 2020, the airport had 471 daily movements to 140 destinations. This system allowed for approximately 30 million connecting passengers in 2019. Such large-scale operations have impacted the growth of traditional hubs like London-Heathrow or New York-JFK.

Some hubs become so dominant that they are called fortress hubs. A fortress hub is an airport where a single airline dominates the market. This makes it very difficult for competitors to establish a foothold. In the United States, major fortress hubs include Delta at Atlanta, American at Dallas/Fort Worth, and United at Newark.

Many national flag carriers also maintain a dominant presence at their country's primary international airport. Examples include British Airways at London-Heathrow and Air France at Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

The hub-and-spoke system connects many different parts of the global economy. It allows airlines to serve more destinations using fewer routes and fewer aircraft. This increases the passenger load factor, which is the number of seats filled on a flight. It also helps airlines use larger and more efficient aircraft. For passengers, the system offers access to a wide array of destinations with only one stop. However, the downside is the need to make a connection, which increases total travel time compared to a direct flight.