International trade has grown rapidly over the past half century, accommodated by the transportation industry through concomitant growth and technological change. But while the connection between transport and trade flows is clear, the academic literature often looks at these two issues separately. This Handbook is unique in pulling together the key insights of each field while highlighting what we know about their intersection and ideas for future research in this relatively unexamined but growing area of study. After presenting the latest data and modeling techniques used to explain global trade patterns, the chapters address directly the core theme of the Handbook: the intersection of international trade and transportation costs. Other key topics examined include trade facilitation, trade networks, and the role of transport costs in offshoring, foreign investment location, and the role of intermediary firms. The Handbook is an excellent primer on the essential concepts and references in international trade and transport for scholars who may have their primary expertise in one of these areas, but are not as familiar with the other. It will also be an invaluable resource for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and other researchers who are relatively new to either field. Contributors include: L. Alfaro, S.L. Baier, K. Behrens, B.A. Blonigen, B.S. Blum, W.M. Brown, J. Carballo, Y.-T. Chang, M.X. Chen, S. Claro, J.J. Corbett, J. Damnjanovic, P. de Langen, F.J. Diez, P.H. Egger, L. Fan, H. Goerg, A. Hanley, J.D. Ho, I.J. Horstmann, M.N. Jovanovic, A. Kerr, X. Li, F. Lin, H. Meersman, D. Miljkovic, M. Moore, J. Mora, J. Njegi , T. Notteboom, P. O'Neill, K.H. Park, S. Russell Riggs, P. Saragiotis, G. Schaur, A.C. Spearot, C. Sys, W.K. Talley, E. Van de Voorde, T. Vanelslander, C. Volpe Martincus, W.W. Wilson, J.J. Winebrake, Y. Wolfmayr, Y.V. Yotov, A. Zhang, S. Zhang, Y. Zhang, Z. Zhang

An efficient air transport system is critical to countries attaining and sustaining healthy economies in an increasingly interconnected world economy. Competing successfully now means quick shipping over long distances at reasonable rates. Societies also prosper when people from different countries can travel around the world using efficient transport. This volume includes literature surveys and original empirical research examining airline efficiency in the twenty first century. Topics cover airline productivity, sources of airline efficiency, the cost and scope of operations in airline transport; airline productivity for different global regions; methodologies estimating productivity growth and efficiency. Further chapters on sources of airline efficiency examine fuel efficiency differences, efficiency in different stages of production, and the contributions of technological change, mergers, and low-cost carrier competition to efficiency. Chapters on the cost and scope of operations examine all-cargo carrier efficiency, gains from airline/high speed-rail cooperation, and airport economies of scope in passenger and freight operations.