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Research project

The airport factor: assessing the impact of international and national aviation mobility on the spread of covid-19

This project aimed to assess the impact of air travel on the infection rate of Covid-19. We asked: To what extent does the incidence of the virus depend on the volume, origin and diversity of incoming passengers in airport areas in the months preceding the outbreak, once we control for compositional factors of the areas and their anti-epidemic policies?

We considered both air travel data and local demographic, socioeconomic and policy-related characteristics, with a focus on sub-national zones that host major national and international airports. We concentrated on the three global regions most affected by Covid-19 in early 2020: Europe, North America, and China. By estimating the impact of air travel connectivity relative to other factors, our study could help design travel restrictions that address the spread of future epidemics while minimizing the socioeconomic consequences of reduced mobility.

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