要旨：The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of slot trading on route competition at the UK’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports. In 2008, the EC clarified the acceptance of slot trading in the EU. Free slot trading is expected to improve competitive rivalry between carriers and bring benefits to consumers. At the same time, as competition authorities have been concerned about, slot trading may lead to increased market concentration and power, which in turn could adversely affect competition between carriers. Nevertheless, only a limited number of papers have examined the effect of slot trading on competition. Thus, the present research examines what effects slot trading have had on route-level competition at the UK’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports by using the OAG flight data from intra-EU airports and the slot trading data in the UK from 2008 to 2009. The regression analyses yielded the following results: (1) Rival carriers have been discriminated against in slot trade in terms of the predicted probability of trading; (2) However, in spite of its apparent discriminatory nature, the slot trades among alliance carriers have contributed to slightly increased competition measured in terms of the number of effective competitors per route. In contrast, the slot trades between rival carriers had a significant negative effect on the number of effective competitors at the route level. Instead, trades between rivals seem to have contributed to the expansion of route network of carriers that acquired slots from their rival carriers. (These results seem to have some similarity with the mutual forbearance hypothesis of multimarket competition theory.) In sum, the results of the regression analyses suggest that on the one hand, slot trades among alliance members led to the increased route-level competition, and on the other hand, slot trades between rivals resulted in the creation of expanded route networks.

要旨：A regional development policy in Japan has focused on equalizing interregional difference. For achieving a policy target, Japanese government has executed attracting policy industries to the region. The net movement of population is sometimes used as one of the outcome because labor force moves to an area being able to earn higher income. A wage level associates with productivity. Nowadays, the net interregional migration is decreasing in Japan. I confirm whether the gap of interregional productivity exists or not. It is important topics for regional economist and urban planner whether it is adjusted with the gap of productivity through the movement of production factor or not. If the gap of interregional productivity does not exist, then the net movement of population decreases means the result to be adjusted with the movement of production factor (convergence). If the gap of interregional productivity exists, then the net movement of production factor decreases means to cause other factor. In this paper, I estimate regional production function and confirm whether the gap exists by comparing numerical value with real value. As a result of analysis, I have cleared that the gap of interregional productivity exists. It is mean that the net movement of population decrease in Japan does not cause to converge. As a result of empirical analysis that investigated the cause, it was clarified that it gives a big effect of interregional distribution. This is one of the big political topics in Japan's post WW2 regime.

【応用ミクロ経済学ワークショップ、国際経済学セミナーと共催】

program