Browsing by Author "Fu X"

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Analyzing Hong Kong’s Inbound Tourism: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
    (Elsevier, 5/11/2021) Tsui WHK; Fu X; Chen T; Lei Z; Wu H
    This study empirically investigates the determinants and drivers of Hong Kong’s inbound tourism using data from January 2019 to December 2020. Five of Hong Kong’s major regional tourism source markets are selected: Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. Our empirical results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant negative impacts on the tourism and aviation sectors in Hong Kong that are asymmetric in the source and destination countries. In addition, international travel control imposed by the Hong Kong government is often defined according to the pandemic situation in the tourism source countries, Hong Kong’s inbound visitor volume is also significantly affected by the Hong Kong government’s response to COVID-19 infection cases in the tourism origin markets. Our empirical results also suggest that the flying distance to Hong Kong and high tourism costs in Hong Kong reduced visitor arrival demand, whereas increased aviation services and tourism market potential contributed to tourism growth. These results suggest that the tourism industry and government agencies should cooperate to recover when the pandemic is under good control, so that Hong Kong will be regarded as a preferred and safe destination for travelers and visitors. Our study emphasizes the complementarity between pandemic control and tourism recovery. Pandemic control involves extra tests and quarantine requirements on passengers, more vigorous border control. These operational and associated financial requirements call for government support to the tourism and aviation sectors in the early stage of recovery to create a positive feedback loop.
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    Aviation industry growth in a landlocked developing country: The case of Mongolia
    (Elsevier Ltd on behalf of the World Conference on Transport Research Society, 2025-09-01) Erdenetsogt O; Fu X; Wu H; Tsui KWH
    Improving air connectivity is crucial for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) like Mongolia for the benefits of supporting trade flows, economic growth, and tourism. Analysing data from Mongolia’s international aviation markets (2014–2023), this study examines market dynamics shaping flight frequencies, airline competition, and ticket prices. Findings indicate that on routes where additional flights and seat capacity are introduced if air travel demands do not keep pace, airlines are forced to lower fares to fill seats and thereby suffer from a reduced yield. High-frequency routes, such as those to Beijing, Seoul, Istanbul, and Tokyo, experience intense competition and aggressive pricing, putting additional pressure on yield. In view of the overall inverse relationship between yield and flight frequency, airlines seem to prioritise profitability on certain routes by limiting flights to maintain airfare levels. Mongolia’s market has largely been dominated by full-service carriers (FSCs) with a limited presence of low-cost carriers (LCCs). To enhance air connectivity and industry growth, the Mongolian aviation industry may explore options such as (a) enhancing efficiency in the aviation sector to reduce operational costs; (b) facilitating strategic alliances or route-based cooperations with foreign airlines; (c) introducing more flexibility and freedom in airline operation, notably on seat capacity and route choices in the high and low seasons; and (d) allowing LCC growth on domestic and regional routes, including but not limited to low cost subsidiary of incumbent full service airline. The Mongolian government should also promote national and foreign network carrier services linking major international hub airports with Mongolia’s main airport in conjunction with efforts to boost international tourism and e-commerce. Practical insights for enhancing Mongolia’s aviation sector are discussed.
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    Aviation resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study of the European aviation market
    (Elsevier, 2023-10-05) Su J; Wu H; Tsui KWH; Fu X; Lei Z
    The European aviation industry experienced an unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have a profound impact on the industry in the years to come. An investigation of the European aviation market's performance during the pandemic and the recovery pattern is very important. Such an analysis provides an assessment of the aviation industry's actual resilience against large-scale disruptions thus that the sector can be better prepared for future disruptions and challenges. More importantly, it contributes to a better understanding of the best business practices and industry policies in a dynamic aviation environment, and how the aviation industry may sustain growth in the years to come. For these purposes, this study first presents an overview of the European aviation market's performance for the period of 2019–2020. In general, aviation connectivity (airports and airlines) recovered to around 60 % of the 2019 level, but less than 40 % in terms of flight movements at the end of 2020. Second, an ordered Probit model is applied to investigate the driving factors for airport and airline resilience in the European aviation market, respectively. Four key findings are obtained: (i) the number of flights is an important indicator of airport and airline resilience/recovery performance; (ii) higher airline concentration at an airport might have improved the airport's recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. On the airline side, an airline's higher concentration of flights at airports tends to benefit its resilience (iii) the implementation of the airport slot waiver policy, which suspended the “use it or lose it” rules, had positive impacts on airline resilience; (iv) airports with higher shares of full-service airlines (FSAs) services, or more low-cost carriers (LCCs) in service, are better positioned in recovery. There are no systematic differences caused by carrier types. Overall, our study of the European aviation market reveals positive resilience effects of market concentration and firm scale. The findings reveal another dimension in assessing the effects of market concentration and scale, in addition to their implications on competition and market power.
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    Examining the determinants of Indian airlines’ revenues
    (Elsevier Inc on behalf of the Air Transport Research Society, 2024-12-01) Jayathilakan A; Ngo T; Tsui WHK; Redmayne NB; Balli F; Fu X
    The Indian aviation sector has undergone remarkable growth, driven by the emergence of low-cost carriers and diverse business models. This has resulted in a surge in passenger numbers and aircraft orders, establishing India as a vibrant global aviation market. However, this rapid expansion is accompanied by significant financial challenges, leading to distress and insolvency among numerous airlines. Despite optimistic growth forecasts, high operating costs and relatively low revenue returns pose substantial hurdles. Motivated by these challenges, this study aims to uncover the key factors influencing revenue generation in the Indian aviation industry by analysing expenditure components and their impacts on costs. The objective of this study is to address the research gap stemming from the lack of previous studies on Indian airlines that address endogeneity issues related to airline expenditures. By utilising data from 2007 to 2022 sourced from the audited annual reports of each airline, we aim to provide essential insights into the revenue dynamics of Indian airlines through the application of various econometric models including instrumental variables (IV) regression and generalised method of moments (GMM) models for improving causality and addressing endogeneity. Our findings reveal a positive correlation between unit revenue and factors such as unit expenditure, staff numbers, and passenger volume, while also highlighting the positive impacts of airline alliances and regional connectivity schemes. This research not only sheds light on industry intricacies but also underscores the imperative to address key variables to enhance the sector's sustainability and resilience in the face of ongoing challenges, offering valuable contributions to both academia and industry stakeholders for informed decision-making and strategic planning.
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    Nourishing the Infant Gut Microbiome to Support Immune Health: Protocol of SUN (Seeding Through Feeding) Randomized Controlled Trial.
    (JMIR Publications, 2024-09-02) Wall CR; Roy NC; Mullaney JA; McNabb WC; Gasser O; Fraser K; Altermann E; Young W; Cooney J; Lawrence R; Jiang Y; Galland BC; Fu X; Tonkie JN; Mahawar N; Lovell AL; Ma S
    Background: The introduction of complementary foods during the first year of life influences the diversity of the gut microbiome. How this diversity affects immune development and health is unclear. Objective: This study evaluates the effect of consuming kūmara or kūmara with added banana powder (resistant starch) compared to a reference control at 4 months post randomization on the prevalence of respiratory tract infections and the development of the gut microbiome. Methods: This study is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of mothers and their 6-month-old infants (up to n=300) who have not yet started solids. Infants are randomized into one of 3 groups: control arm (C), standard kūmara intervention (K), and a kūmara intervention with added banana powder product (K+) to be consumed daily for 4 months until the infant is approximately 10 months old. Infants are matched for sex using stratified randomization. Data are collected at baseline (prior to commencing solid food) and at 2 and 4 months after commencing solid food (at around 8 and 10 months of age). Data and samples collected at each timepoint include weight and length, intervention adherence (months 2 and 4), illness and medication history, dietary intake (months 2 and 4), sleep (diary and actigraphy), maternal dietary intake, breast milk, feces (baseline and 4 months), and blood samples (baseline and 4 months). Results: The trial was approved by the Health and Disability Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health, New Zealand (reference 20/NTA/9). Recruitment and data collection did not commence until January 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection and analyses are expected to conclude in January 2024 and early 2025, respectively. Results are to be published in 2024 and 2025. Conclusions: The results of this study will help us understand how the introduction of a specific prebiotic complementary food affects the microbiota and relative abundances of the microbial species, the modulation of immune development, and infant health. It will contribute to the expanding body of research that aims to deepen our understanding of the connections between nutrition, gut microbiota, and early-life postnatal health. Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000026921; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=378654 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/56772 JMIR Res Protoc 2024;13:e56772
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    Spatiotemporal evolution of air cargo networks and its impact on economic development - An analysis of China's domestic market before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024-05) He H; Wu H; Tsui KWH; Wang B; Fu X
    China's domestic air cargo network plays a crucial role in economic development by enabling the efficient and reliable transportation of goods, ensuring regional competitiveness, and supporting sustained economic growth. This study aimed to examine and analyse the spatiotemporal evolution of China's domestic air cargo network and structural configuration and its relationship with local economic development before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby enhancing a better understanding of the mechanisms linking air cargo networks/operations and economic development. By applying the complex network theory and the seemingly unrelated regression framework, this study revealed a significant expansion of China's domestic air cargo network, even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed the substantial growth of smaller airports in the western region that were involved in air cargo operations and the enhanced connectivity of major hub airports in coastal cities in the east. Moreover, this study established a causal relationship between the development of the air cargo network and economic growth. These findings have significant implications for various stakeholders, including policymakers at both the central and local levels, as well as airports and airlines, strengthening the development of air cargo networks.