The aviation industry is in a state of radical antagonisms. Passengers demand quick and cheap transport on the one hand, but expect the highest comfort in terms of service, schedule convenience or non-stop travel on the other hand. The development of more efficient and economical aircraft supports the trend of falling tariffs together with better accessibility. Aspects of comfort on the ground as well as in the air are changing, since falling yields force airlines to reconsider their strategies to attract passengers. The market has become instabile somehow. Customers have interesting choices, when it comes to select the favourite airline for their European-Asian travel. They are free to choose the transfer point of their journey. Dubai has emerged to become a reasonable alternative to the overcrowded classic mega-hubs (London, Paris or Frankfurt) in Europe. The airport convinces with little minimum connecting times, low aeronautical charges and a growing number of new destinations. Rising traffic figures justify an evaluation of this Arabian hub. This paper analysis, if a shift to Dubai makes sense for the international traveller, when he has to travel from Europe to Asia; discussing the idea of the hub and spoke system, measuring customers, their demands along with their expectations. It aims to offer more insight into the problem with the help of accessibility methods in general including theories applicable to the aviation industry. Hub-structures as well as -models are evaluated to understand airports' problems and demonstrate passengers' demands. The main part of the study seeks to develop and interpret air travellers' individual choices among a representative selection of connecting airports on the basis of a large number of empirical surveys.(...)(author's abstract)
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