Port connectivity study: An analysis framework from a global container liner shipping network perspective

•A framework for port connectivity is proposed from the global network perspective.•New measures for port connectivity can be introduced based on the framework.•Two models measuring port connectivity from transportation time and capacity.•The global effect of port connectivity is captured due to the network perspective.

This paper introduces an analysis framework for port connectivity from a global container liner shipping network perspective: it is defined in terms of the impact on the transportation network when the transshipment service is not available at the evaluated port. Under this framework, two models for port connectivity are introduced from transportation time and capacity. Compared with existing measures, the strength of our framework and models is not only that it provides scientific methods to compute port connectivity, but it is able to capture a global effect on how port connectivity contributes to the overall network for given shipping services.