A robust mathematical model and heuristic algorithms for integrated aircraft routing and scheduling, with consideration of fleet assignment problem

• Published in: Journal of air transport management 2017-01, Vol.58, p.21-30
• Main Author: Jamili, Amin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aircraft routing; Aircraft scheduling; PSO; Robustness
• ISSN: 0969-6997; 1873-2089
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2016.08.008

One of the most important airline's products is to determine the aircraft routing and scheduling and fleet assignment. The key input data of this problem is the traffic forecasting and allocation that forecasts traffic on each flight leg. The complexity of this problem is to define the connecting flights when passengers should change the aircraft to reach the final destination. Moreover, as there exists various types of uncertainties during the flights, finding a solution which is able to absorb these uncertainties is invaluable. In this paper, a new robust mixed integer mathematical model for the integrated aircraft routing and scheduling, with consideration of fleet assignment problem is proposed. Then to find good solutions for large-scale problems in a rational amount of time, a heuristic algorithm based on the Simulated Annealing (SA) is introduced. In addition, some examples are randomly generated and the proposed heuristic algorithm is validated by comparing the results with the optimum solutions. The effects of robust vs non-robust solutions are examined, and finally, a hybrid algorithm is generated which results in more effective solution in comparison with SA, and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). •Mathematical optimization is used for modelling the aircraft routing and scheduling problem.•Aircraft routing and scheduling is accompanied by various disruptions.•The robust approach results in more confident solutions in practice.•Metaheuristic algorithms are used to solve the large scale problems.