Topological analyses of multi-airport regional air transport networks are the basis for the sustainable development of multi-airport systems. In this study, we modeled the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region’s airport infrastructure as a network and presented a weighted approach by which to analyze the network structure and robustness from the perspective of complex network theory. The analysis of the Yangtze River Delta Airport Network (YRDAN) indicates that it is a small-world network, and its cumulative degree has a power-law distribution, suggesting that it has scale-free properties. As its weighted clustering coefficient was found to be much smaller than the non-weighted counterpart, this demonstrates that most of the network traffic is focused on a hub-and-spoke pattern. Furthermore, the over-centrality of the YRDAN suggests weak accessibility of small cities and high dependence of air transport on the hub-and-spoke pattern. The assessment of the robustness of the YRDAN in the face of intentional attacks found that domestic networks are more robust than foreign aviation networks. However, the isolation of a small fraction of selected nodes can cause serious problems in the functioning of the YRDAN.

Accurate measurement of airport operational efficiency and the analysis of key influencing factors can provide theoretical references for regional airport planning and air traffic management. Many studies are conducted on the operational efficiency of airports in the region, but little attention is paid to their interactions. To fill this gap, this paper measures the operational efficiency of airports in four major cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, and on this basis, the spatial Durbin model is used to explore the influencing factors and spillover effects of airport operational efficiency based on two aspects: airport physical characteristics and regional characteristics. The study demonstrates that the efficiency of airport operations has a significant negative spillover effect, indicating that the efficiency of neighboring airports evolves in a competitive interaction. In terms of direct effects, the number of flights, the number of destinations, airport capacity utilization and GDP are important factors affecting airport efficiency. In terms of spillover effects, this paper found that the population and income positively affect the efficiency of local airport operations, while the number of flights and airport capacity utilization effects have negative effects.