Investigation of Road Network Connectivity and Accessibility in Less Accessible Airport Regions: The Case of India

Abstract

One of the keys to the transformation of a region is the expansion of transportation networks. Airports will continue to develop as significant growth centres. The literature review in this article suggests various concepts of importance for connectivity while stating the significance of airport corridors as emerging economic corridors. The objective of this article is to calculate the landside connectivity for road networks for different tiers of airports in their influence areas, as well as to identify the regions that are most and least accessible in the Indian context. This study analysed geographical aspects based on graph theory and the connectivity indices of road networks. The airports were ranked based on these connectivity indices, resulting in the selected case of Bagdogra Airport, West Bengal being used for accessibility analysis. This study also includes centrality indices to determine accessibility in the airport region based on QGIS tools. The centrality indices increase with distance from the airport, indicating the impact of airport connectivity in the identified influence area. The results show critical nodes and links, indicating the necessity for comprehensive planning for new airport regions for greater accessibility and for stimulating development.