A Multilayer and Time-varying Structural Analysis of the Brazilian Air Transportation Network

This paper provides a multilayer and time-varying structural analysis of one air transportation network, having the Brazilian air transportation network as a case study. Using a single mathematical object called MultiAspect Graph (MAG) for this analysis, the multilayer perspective enables the unveiling of the particular strategies of each airline to both establish and adapt in a moment of crisis its specific flight network. Similarly, the time-varying perspective allows multi-scale analysis considering different time periods, and thus assessing the impact of the economic crisis on how the different airlines establish their routes as well as the flights that use these routes. Altogether, besides the multilayer and time-varying structural analysis of the Brazilian air transportation network, this paper also acts as a proof-of-concept for the MAG potential for the modeling and analysis of high-order networks.