Reserve Fleet Optimisation: Assessing airline operational performance impact of capacity changes on past operations

Airline reserve fleet capacity is a strategic resource that provides airlines the means to add robustness to their schedules. This paper focuses on leveraging past data on airlines' execution of planned schedules (resulting delays, cancellations and missed connections), along with the disruptions that prohibited the flawless execution of the...

Dynamic Target Time Management with Reinforcement Learning: A case study on Zurich short-haul regulated arrivals

This Master Thesis investigates the possible improvements to the Target Time Management concept to optimize the arrival flows for SWISS International Airlines. The aim is to improve operational performance based on the current model used, as well as prove that Target Time Management constitutes a valuable system to improve operations in a...

Dynamically Forecasting Airline Departure Delay Probability Distributions for Individual Flights using Supervised Learning

Punctuality is a key performance indicator for any airline. Hub-and-spoke airlines are particularly committed to on-time arrivals to guarantee passenger connections. Flights that are delayed at departure need to compensate for the lost time whilst airborne. Because fueling takes place well before scheduled departure, predicted departure delays...

Aircraft Tail-Specific Performance Modeling for Fuel Efficient Flight Operations in the Cruise Phase

Fuel-efficient flight operations and improved Air Traffic Management (ATM) operations are identified as one of the main pillars in achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. While considerable research has focused on airspace management and ATM operations, flight operations as managed by airlines have received little attention. <br/><br/>Accurate...

Formal modelling and verification of a multi-agent negotiation approach for airline operations control

This paper proposes and evaluates a new airline disruption management strategy using multi-agent system modelling, simulation, and verification. This new strategy is based on a multi-agent negotiation protocol and is compared with three airline strategies based on established industry practices. The application concerns Airline Operations...

Dynamic aircraft recovery problem - An operational decision support framework

This paper presents a new approach for solving the recovery of the airline schedule when disruptions have occurred. The goal is to develop an operational tool that provides the airline with a solution in less than one minute. The proposed recovery model uses a heuristic that iteratively solves selections of the airline's fleet in order to...

Aircraft Disruption Management: Increasing Performance with Machine Learning Predictions

Airlines experience schedule disruptions on a daily basis. Poor weather conditions, unscheduled aircraft maintenance and congested air spaces are just a few of the causes that prevent airlines from operating their flight schedules as planned. In the third quarter of 2017 over 20% of all scheduled flights in Europe suffered from delays. Operation...

Evaluation of a Multi-Agent System approach to airline disruption management

Each day, airlines face disturbances that disrupt their carefully planned operations. Events like adverse weather conditions, sick crew members, or damaged aircraft often result in delays in the airline's schedule. An airline recovers from such disruptions through the role played by its Airline Operations Control (AOC). A Multi-Agent System ...

Modelling and Simulation of Decision-making Processes in Airline Operations Control

Airlines are subject to external events that may disrupt their day-to-day operations. These disruptions lead to additional costs for crew, fuel, aircraft, maintenance and a loss of passenger goodwill. Therefore, each airline has an Airline Operations Control (AOC) department that is responsible for disruption management. The problems faced by...

CoBaPreM Component-Based Predictive Maintenance to reduce unscheduled occurrences: A new strategy to improve reliability practices

Costs associated to unscheduled and excessively prudent maintenance can contribute significantly to an airline's expenditure. Due to the complex nature of aviation related operations, reliability practices have been limited. In an attempt to improve component reliability, i.e. reduce maintenance-related costs, a new strategy was proposed which...

Agent-Based Modelling and Simulation of Safety and Resilience in Air Transportation

Purpose: In order to improve the safety, capacity, economy, and sustainability of air transportation, revolutionary changes are required. These changes might range from the introduction of new technology and operational procedures to unprecedented roles of human operators and the way they interact. Implementing such changes can introduce both...

Literature review of the passenger airline business models: Full service carrier, low-cost carrier and charter airlines

The deregulation and liberalization of the air transportation industry have developed three main passenger business models: full service carriers, low-cost carriers, and charter airlines. Deregulation removed regulated fares and routes increasing competition and yields. Airlines business models main objectives are to minimize operation costs and...

Variation in load experience: A re-analysis of Fokker F27 and Foker F28 operational acceleration data

Fatigue meter data obtained during operational flights of Fokker F27 and Fokker F28 aircraft were re-processed and analyzed to study the variation in load experience between different aircraft of the same type. The Data covered about 470000 flights, made by 101 aircraft of 51 different operators. A simple algorithm was developed to quantify the...

An Analysis of Controlled Flight into Terrain (CFIT) Accidents of Commercial Operators 1988 through 1994

This investigation focused on the identification and analyses of factors that are potentially associated with fatal Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) accidents involving commercial operators. Central to the objectives was an attempt to highlight differences between CFIT accidents of air taxi, regional and major carriers. The research focused...

Re-analysis of European flight load data

Ageing aircraft research in The Netherlands

The problems of Ageing Aircraft are worldwide. Hence, actions to overcome or prevent these problems should be taken in international collaboration. The Federal Aviation Administration FAA and the Netherlands Civil Aviation Department RLD have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the area of structural integrity, with specific reference to...