Airline Scheduling Process

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Agenda

            Airline scheduling process

Fleet Assignment problem

Time-Space network concept

Airline Schedule

• Single most important indicator of airline’s business strategy.

• Markets to be served
• Level of service

• There are many restrictions that makes the planning very difficult:

• Gates and slots
• Operational restrictions
• Airport Restrictions
• Location of the crew and maintenance plans

• Airline schedule is what that defines their level of service, their market share, and their business strategy, because it is the most important product of an airline and it is the core service which all the other services are based on that.
• The problem and decision making is a complicated process because of numerous complicating factors  such as :
• Labor,
• Operational restrictions
• Aircraft restrictions
• Aircraft requirements
• Airport restrictions
• Gate, slots,
• Uncertainty in demand

Airline’s Goals

• Airlines are operating in a competitive market.
• The ultimate goal of airlines is maximizing the profit.
• There can be some other goals that will lead to profit such as:

• Operational goals
• Marketing goals
• Strategic goals

• Airlines are trying to find the best (in terms of profit) schedules that are consistent with their other goals.
• Airlines are private owned companies, and similar to all the other private owned companies, the ultimate goal is maximizing the profit,.
• In order to maximize profit, airlines have different marketing , operational and long term strategies which can be considered as goals. Because they will generate profit.

Airlines and Decision making

• Decision making process in airline industry is a very complicated process due to:

• Numerous airport location with different restrictions
• Different aircraft types with different operational characteristics
• Crew scheduling and regulations
• Large number of O/D routes and markets

• Decision making for Airlines in United States is very difficult.
• Competitive market
• Enormous Air transportation network.
•         Airports
•         Hubs
•         Flight legs
•         Markets
• Rules and regulations
•         Crew
•         Aircraft operations