Aviation
Hub-and-spoke network
An airline network that routes passengers through a central airport to connect many cities.
Last reviewedWhat does Hub-and-spoke network mean?
In a hub-and-spoke network, an airline flies from many cities (the spokes) into one main airport (the hub), times arrivals and departures in waves, and connects passengers onward. It lets an airline serve many city pairs with few routes. Example: an airline with 50 spokes into one hub can connect 50 x 49 / 2 = 1,225 pairs of spoke cities through the hub, plus the 50 cities to the hub itself, while flying only 50 routes. Emirates in Dubai, Qatar Airways in Doha and Turkish Airlines in Istanbul are hub carriers. The alternative, point-to-point, links cities directly, as many low-cost carriers do.
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Related terms
- Low-cost carrier (LCC)An airline built for the lowest cost per seat, selling cheap fares plus paid extras.
- Airport slotPermission to use a busy airport at a set time to land or take off.
- Freedoms of the airThe international rights that let airlines fly over, land in and carry passengers between countries.
- Network effectsA product becomes more valuable as more people use it.
- ASK (available seat kilometre)One seat flown one kilometre: the standard measure of airline capacity.
- RPK (revenue passenger kilometre)One paying passenger flown one kilometre: the standard measure of airline traffic.
- Load factorThe share of seats filled with paying passengers: RPK divided by ASK.
- Yield (airlines)Passenger revenue per revenue passenger kilometre: the average fare per kilometre.