Real-time aircraft turnaround operations manager

Abstract

Aircraft turnaround operations are the activities conducted to prepare an inbound aircraft at an airport for a following outbound flight that is scheduled for the same aircraft. The activities of aircraft turnaround operations include both the inbound and outbound exchanges of passengers, crew, catering services, cargo and baggage handling. Hence, appears the importance of following up on all activities done during the aircraft turnaround stage to deliver the true picture to the airline operation control centre (OCC) automatically. This enables the OCC to take quick and proper decisions regarding how to face any obstacles to flight punctuality, determine responsibilities and evaluate performances in regard to all activities. These control and evaluation activities occur, at the present, using manual methods and telephone communications, which lead to unreliable data and delays. The data become more doubtful due to interference of the human factor and the necessity to monitor flights preparation. Our solution to these problems is to present the airline flight preparation management process during the aircraft turnaround and design and implement a rule-based system called Flight Activities Progressions System that is used to manage and monitor the flights preparation during the turnaround. Mobile computing devices, portable handsets and the wireless network technology General Packet Radio Service are used to implement the real-time system for an airline. The Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and Critical Path Method are modelled in the system. The goals of using PERT are to evaluate and improve the efficiency of airline operational procedures and to improve the efficiency of airline ground activities allocation. The system implementation results indicate that real-time operation can potentially reduce delays occurring from airline operations and optimise the aircraft ground stop time.

Keywords:

• airline operation
• aircraft turnaround process
• flight management
• delay propagation
• real-time monitoring