摘要: |
Airlines operating hub and spoke networks (HSNs) can reduce aircraft costs and passenger transfer times at hubs through efficient sequencing of flights. Typically, batches of flights are processed during relatively brief time "slots". When aircraft differ significantly in sizes or loads, there is a considerable potential for reducing the delay costs through efficient flight sequencing. Sequencing bigger aircraft last in and first out (BLIFO) minimizes the costs of aircraft delays, gate usage, and passenger time. Sequencing smaller aircraft first in and first out (SFIFO) maximizes the gate utilization and terminal capacity. Therefore, BLIFO is preferable when airports are not busy and gate utilization in unimportant. SFIFO is preferable when airports are very busy. Some intermediate sequences might also minimize total cost, depending on the relative costs of aircraft delays, gates, and passenger time. BLIFO or SFIFO, whichever is lower, provides a very good initial solution in most cases. A sequential pairwise exchange algorithm can then improve this initial sequence until no further improvement is possible. |