IFA/1 : an interactive airline fleet assignment model

Abstract

This thesis investigates the Airline Fleet Assignment models which have been designed during the past 10 years within MIT's Flight Transportation Laboratory. Emphasis is placed on developing an interactive computer system, called IFA/1, which simplifies the use of fleet assignment models and improves the insertion or modification of necessary data. The first section gives a general review of the mathematical models used for vehicle planning in air transportation, with special attention given to the Airline Fleet Assignment and Fleet Planning problem. The techniques used to solve these problems are discussed, and one model of particular interest, the FA4 model, is introduced. The second part describes how FA4 is used in practice and points out some of its major deficiencies. An improvement is proposed through the means of an interactive computer package available at the Flight Transportation Laboratory. Future modifications to this interactive system are also discussed. Finally, an alternative solution is suggested to one of the theoretical problems which underlies the Fleet Assignment model: the "phantom frequency problem". This issue is discussed and a new set of equations is proposed which improves the efficiency of the model.