  In real networks complex topological features are often associated with a
diversity of interactions as measured by the weights of the links. Moreover,
spatial constraints may as well play an important role, resulting in a complex
interplay between topology, weight, and geography. In order to study the
vulnerability of such networks to intentional attacks, these attributes must be
therefore considered along with the topological quantities. In order to tackle
this issue, we consider the case of the world-wide airport network, which is a
weighted heterogeneous network whose evolution and structure are influenced by
traffic and geographical constraints. We first characterize relevant
topological and weighted centrality measures and then use these quantities as
selection criteria for the removal of vertices. We consider different attack
strategies and different measures of the damage achieved in the network. The
analysis of weighted properties shows that centrality driven attacks are
capable to shatter the network's communication or transport properties even at
very low level of damage in the connectivity pattern. The inclusion of weight
and traffic therefore provides evidence for the extreme vulnerability of
complex networks to any targeted strategy and need to be considered as key
features in the finding and development of defensive strategies.
