A Study on the Relationship between Air Transport and Regional Development Based on a Difference-in-Differences Model

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-699-9_50How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Air Transport; Regional Development; DID Model

Abstract

In a global context, the relationship between air transport and regional development is complex. Given that a large number of small and medium-sized airports in China suffer from insufficient passenger traffic and rely on subsidies, the question of whether air transport can effectively promote regional development remains to be answered. Existing research has largely focused on economic dimensions, with insufficient attention paid to social aspects, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To this end, this paper takes Huai’an City in Jiangsu Province, where Lianshui International Airport is located, as a case study. It employs DID and FEM models to conduct empirical analyses from both economic and educational perspectives, and constructs a mediation model to explore the underlying mechanisms. The findings reveal that: (1) air transport promotes economic development; (2) air transport inhibits educational development; (3) air transport presents both advantages and disadvantages, acting as a double-edged sword. Based on these findings, three recommendations are proposed: implementing a talent recruitment strategy; strengthening infrastructure development; and promoting inter-regional cooperation and resource sharing.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Xiaojin Li
AU  - Hanyue Li
AU  - Jin Xu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/02
TI  - A Study on the Relationship between Air Transport and Regional Development Based on a Difference-in-Differences Model
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 4th International Conference on Digital Economy and Management Science (CDEMS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 465
EP  - 472
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-699-9_50
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-699-9_50
ID  - Li2026
ER  -