The concept of a hub airport has evolved widening its scope as a national civil aviation policy-making tool, due to the ability to deliver wider socio-economic benefits to a country. However, not all airports can be converted into hubs. This research proposes a methodological approach to structural analysis of the airport industry, that could be applied to determine the competitive position of an airport in a given aviation network and devise airport strategies and national policy measures to improve the current position of the airport. This study presents a twelve-group taxonomy of airports, which analyses the changing geography of the airport industry in the East (Asia and The Middle East). Multivariate data have been used in a two-step Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering exercise which represents three airport strategies: namely, degree-of-airport-activity (size and intensity of operations), network strategies (international and domestic hub), and the market segmentation strategies (service and destination orientation). Principal Component Analysis has been utilised as a data reduction tool. The study confirms the general hypothesis that a sound macro environment and liberalised approach to economic regulation in the air transport industry are important for successful hub operations. In addition, it sheds light on the fact that while the factors of geographical advantage, economic development, urbanisation, tourism and business attractiveness, physical and intellectual infrastructure, and political and administrative frameworks, are all basic prerequisites (qualifiers) for successful hubbing in the region, those factors would not necessarily guarantee a hub status unless the governments are also committed to develop the sector and take timely decisions (differentiators) to allow airports to benefit from the first mover advantage. Application of the proposed taxonomy was tested on a case study of the major international airport of Sri Lanka, to provide policy inputs to develop the airport that is currently identified as being overshadowed by the mega hubs in the region.

Цель работы заключается в совершенствовании методического инструментария формирования стратегии распределения продукции промышленного предприятия и его распределительной сети. В работе исследованы теоретические основы формирования распределительной стратегии предприятия, уточнена классификация стратегий распределения и обоснована взаимосвязь логистических стратегий предприятия с его корпоративными и конкурентными стратегиями. Изучен опыт зарубежных и отечественных промышленных предприятий по формированию стратегий распределения и распределительных сетей. Разработан методический подход к выбору стратегии распределения продукции промышленного предприятия, основанный на ранжировании целевых ориентиров компании и учете ее конкурентной и логистической стратегий, позволяющий повысить эффективность распределительной деятельности предприятия. Разработан алгоритм формирования распределительной сети предприятия включающий различные наборы операций и технологии их реализации в зависимости от выбранной стратегии распределения, что позволяет сформировать наиболее эффективную распределительную сеть для условий деятельности конкретного предприятия. / The aim of the work is to improve the methodological tools for forming a distribution strategy for the products of an industrial enterprise and its distribution network. In work theoretical bases of formation of distributive strategy of the enterprise are investigated, the classification of distribution strategies is clarified and the interrelation of logistical strategies of the enterprise with its corporate and competitive strategies is grounded. The experience of foreign and domestic industrial enterprises in the formation of distribution strategies and distribution networks has been studied. A methodical approach to the selection of a strategy for the distribution of products of an industrial enterprise was developed, based on the ranking of the company's target targets and taking into account its competitive and logistical strategies, which makes it possible to improve the efficiency of the enterprise's distribution activities. An algorithm is developed for the formation of the enterprise's distribution network, which includes various sets of operations and technologies for their implementation, depending on the chosen distribution strategy, which allows to form the most efficient distribution network for the operating conditions of a particular enterprise.