Abstract Research on the development and impacts of air transport has hitherto focused mainly on developed countries in the Global North, and relatively little on less developed countries in the Global South. The seven papers of this Special Issue of the Journal of Transport Geography aim to address this imbalance and encourage further research on air transport development in the Global South. In recent years, the Global South has witnessed significant changes in air transport networks and policies, with implications for economic growth, spatial development and airline business models. This Special Issue explores some challenges to air transport development in the Global South for countries in Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia, including links between air transport and economic development, the evolution and key drivers of air transport growth and the spatial distribution of passenger airline networks, and the development and impact of low-cost carriers. It also identifies opportunities for future research in this growing area.

中文翻译：

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特刊介绍：全球南方的航空运输

摘要 迄今为止，关于航空运输发展和影响的研究主要集中在全球北方的发达国家，而对全球南方欠发达国家的研究相对较少。《运输地理杂志》特刊的七篇论文旨在解决这种不平衡问题，并鼓励对全球南方航空运输发展的进一步研究。近年来，全球南方见证了航空运输网络和政策的重大变化，对经济增长、空间发展和航空公司商业模式产生了影响。本期特刊探讨了非洲、南美、中东和亚洲国家在全球南方航空运输发展面临的一些挑战，包括航空运输与经济发展之间的联系，航空运输增长和客运网络空间分布的演变和主要驱动因素，以及低成本航空公司的发展和影响。它还确定了在这个不断增长的领域未来研究的机会。