The Relationship between the Airport Economy and Regional Development in China

It is of great significance to enhance the coupling relationship between the airport economy and regional development in order to promote regional coordinated growth. Based on data of 35 major airport cities in China from 2004 to 2018, this research empirically analyzes the coupling relationship between the airport economy and regional development and puts forward the concept of the leap path. The results show that the degree of coupling between the airport economy and regional development presents a fluctuating upward trend, but on the whole it is still at a low level of maladjustment decline. It decreases from east to west by region, and the eastern region has entered a form of coordinated development. According to the coupling state of regional development and airport economy, each city needs to explore its own suitable leap path. Governments at all levels should invest more public resources into airport economic zones and promote the integrated development of "port-industry-city-region." At the same time, governments can more actively explore the construction of an Air Silk Road and an airport-type-free trade port.