Originally Posted by
ZeroTT
A recent rest of this theory has been run using the 787 and A380. Convenience won. Outside of a centrally planned economy, you aren't going to get a "logical" air transport network.
And I would also dispute the "well it's only another 30 minutes"
Yes GSP-CLT and AVL-CLT is silly. But I live somewhere that has daily RJ service to 4 hubs all of which are 6 hour drives away. They are the closest international gateways. Lots of americans live within a 2 hour drive of a major airport. The percentage that live within a 2 hour drive of LHR direct (let alone CDG or NRT) is much lower.
And there are people for whom another hour makes a difference ... the high value business travelers who prop up the whole enterprise.
Your example proves my point. If you have RJ service to that many airports your airport could support a mainline aircraft. There also aren't very many of those airports without multiple flights a day that could be consolidated.