Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4722-4741

Advisor

Tajik, Nazanin

Committee Member

Marufuzzaman, Mohammed

Committee Member

Lee, Seunghan

Committee Member

Wang, Haifeng

Date of Degree

12-12-2025

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU Only 1 year

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Major

Industrial and Systems Engineering

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Department

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in the global aviation industry, triggering unprecedented disruptions in air transportation networks and domestic airfare pricing. This dissertation investigates the dual impact of the pandemic on U.S. domestic flight price elasticity and the structural resilience of air transportation networks (ATNs). Through a two-step hurdle regression model, the study quantifies the likelihood and magnitude of airfare drops across 60 major U.S. airports, revealing significant spatial disparities influenced by flight duration, airport enplanement, airline hub status, and regional characteristics. The analysis demonstrates that high traffic airports and flights associated with major carriers experienced more pronounced price reductions, while urban migration patterns and regional dynamics shaped recovery trajectories. Complementing the economic analysis, the research applies complex network theory and graph neural networks (GNNs) to evaluate ATN resilience. By modeling both static and dynamic network topologies, the study identifies critical nodes and links, assesses vulnerability to targeted and random failures, and proposes strategies for enhancing network robustness. The findings underscore the importance of adaptive network design, policy interventions, and data-driven operational strategies to safeguard aviation infrastructure against future global shocks. This interdisciplinary work bridges aviation economics, network science, and machine learning, offering actionable insights for policymakers, airlines, and infrastructure planners. It contributes to the theoretical understanding of crisis-induced market behavior and provides a framework for resilient air transportation systems in an increasingly uncertain world.

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