The Study on Departure Time Zone Planning for Airline Passenger and Cargo Flights

• Main Authors: Hsin-Mei Chiu, 邱心玫
• Other Authors: Chang-Ing Hsu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/7hewa6

碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 運輸科技與管理學系 === 92 === Abstract The global economics affects airline market deeply. Especially when economics comes to a slump situation, airlines may encounter losses of both passengers and cargo if they just considered reducing flight frequency. Teodorovic (1988) pointed out that “proper insight passengers’ transportation demand and the distribution of this demand over time can increase the number of air transportation passengers by offering an adequate number of flights at suitable times.” Hence, it is important for airlines to plan the optimal flight arrival and departure time and flight frequency to maintain business profit under changing economic situation. This study analyzes decisions on flight departure time zones under different economic situations for airlines which operate air services for both passengers and cargos. Factors considered in the study include time lag, flight flying time, flight delay, preferred arrival and departure time of passengers and cargos, the beginning time and the ending time in destination and origination, etc. Since airlines couldn’t make all flights departure time meet the demand of passengers and cargo owners. The study introduces discount functions for tickets and freight charges for flights with various schedule delay. The more the flight departure time satisfies the schedules of passengers and cargo owners, the higher the load factor of the flight. The study further formulates a model using mathematical programming method by maximizing airlines’ profits to find out the optimal departure time zone and frequency for all flights. Furthermore, the study proposes partial-market time-slot allocation scheme using Weighted approach and Analytical approach and estimate their difference in airlines’ profits. The Weighted approach uses the ratio of the profit of individual time zone divided by total profit of airlines as weights to determine the auction price of different time zones. The Analytical approach deduced the range and the maximum value of individual time zone through analyzing profit and cost of the time zone. The study further estimates and compares the total profits of two methods. Finally, the study demonstrates a case study and collects necessary data to show the feasibility of the model. The results of the study show that the model can determine the optimal departure time-zone and flight frequency which maximizies airlines’ profit. Time-slot allocation scheme is better than non time-slot allocation scheme under different economic situations. Furthermore, although the amount of total profits for all airlines is smaller if airport authority adopts partial-market time-slot allocation scheme rather than historic precedence allocation scheme. Nevertheless, it can enable airlines to use time-slot more efficiently through auction scheme. For partial-market time-slot allocation scheme, airlines earn more profits using Weighted approach than analytical approach.