Spatial Network Analysis of Container Port Operations: The Case of Ship Turnaround Times

This research investigates the determinants of ship turnaround times at about 2,300 container ports between 1977 and 2016, based on nearly 3 million daily vessel movements. It adopts a multilevel approach combining territorial network indicators to characterize ports, proposes new methodology calculating shipping delays. Main results reveal that port connectivity, Gross Domestic Product per capita, number calls, island location foster efficient operations. Conversely, urban population, voyage delays sea, maximum size, upstream increase time. While average time inter-port sailing have both regularly declined, operational technological changes in maritime sector - especially after 2007/8 global financial crisis accelerated intra-port slowed down relational spatial also underlines geographic differentiation nationally regionally, as it is far from being randomly distributed globe. ... Yutani, H.