Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1992.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 107-109).

abstract: In 2004 the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined the European Union (EU) as part of the EU's greatest enlargement to date. These countries were followed by Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. One benefit of joining the EU was the freedom for residents in the new EU member states to migrate to western European nations, notably the United Kingdom (UK). A result of this new freedom was an increased need for air travel. The intersection of the expansion of the EU with the introduction of low-cost airline service was the topic addressed in this study. Yearly traffic statistics obtained from the UK Civil Aviation Authority were used to formulate a trend line of passenger volume growth from 1990 to 2003. Through a time series regression analysis, a confidence interval was calculated that established that, beginning with the year 2004, passenger volumes exceeded the probable margin of error, despite flat population growth. Low-cost carriers responded to these market conditions through the introduction of new flights across the region. These carriers modeled themselves after Southwest Airlines, a strategy that appeared to be more effective at meeting the needs of the post-accession travel boom. The result was a dramatic rise in both passenger volumes and low-cost airline routes in an east-west direction across the continent. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S.Tech Technology 2012

Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal a avaliação de qualidade dos serviços aeroportuários considerando a perspectiva das Companhias Aéreas. Para tanto, o trabalho visa: (i) propor um modelo baseado em atributos de qualidade para os serviços prestados pelos gestores dos aeroportos às Companhias Aéreas; (ii) realizar a implementação desse Modelo para a avaliação da qualidade de ditos serviços; e (iii) avaliar a qualidade dos serviços oferecidos tanto para passageiros quanto para Companhias Aéreas. Assim, dois Modelos são propostos e aplicados, o primeiro com foco em Companhias Aéreas e o segundo que integra as perspectivas delas e dos passageiros, com relação aos serviços comuns. A construção dos Modelos foi baseada na revisão da literatura e no conhecimento de especialistas dos setores de aeroportos e serviços. A implementação dos modelos foi realizada em dois Aeroportos da América do Sul, um no Brasil e outro na Colômbia, abrangendo os pontos de vista dos atores: Gestores de Aeroporto, Companhias Aéreas e passageiros. Assim, foi possível analisar os aspectos que esses atores valorizam, sua percepção sobre a qualidade e, ainda, proceder a uma análise de gaps. A inclusão do ponto de vista das Companhias Aéreas na avaliação da qualidade dos aeroportos representa uma contribuição à literatura, devido à pouca quantidade de trabalhos sobre o assunto e a importância dos aeroportos atenderem esses clientes. Na prática, os modelos apresentados podem ser usados pelos gestores dos aeroportos como ferramentas para a avaliação de seus serviços, análise do conflito de interesses, integração das perspectivas de passageiros e Companhias Aéreas, e identificação de oportunidades de melhoria. / This paper aims to evaluate the quality of airport services considering the Airlines perspective. Thus, this paper intends to: (i) propose a Quality Attributes-based model for services provided by the Airport operator to airlines; (ii) implement a model for the quality evaluation of those services; and (iii) evaluate the quality of the services provided to passengers and airlines. Two models were proposed and implemented, the first had a focus on airlines and the second integrated the perspectives of airlines and passengers in respect of common services. The models were built based in the literature review and the knowledge of airport and services experts. The implementation of these models was done in two South America airports, one in Brazil and other in Colombia, comprising the point of view of airport managers, airlines and passengers. Consequently, it was possible to analyze the items they value, their perception about quality attributes and also to conduct a Gaps analysis. The inclusion of airline’s point of view in the airport quality assessment represents a contribution to the literature, due to the small amount of papers on the subject and the relevance of these clients. In practice, the proposed models can be used by airport managers for assessing their services, analyzing the conflict interests and the integration between the passengers and airlines perspectives; and identifying opportunities for improvement.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo principal a avaliação de qualidade dos serviços aeroportuários considerando a perspectiva das Companhias Aéreas. Para tanto, o trabalho visa: (i) propor um modelo baseado em atributos de qualidade para os serviços prestados pelos gestores dos aeroportos às Companhias Aéreas; (ii) realizar a implementação desse Modelo para a avaliação da qualidade de ditos serviços; e (iii) avaliar a qualidade dos serviços oferecidos tanto para passageiros quanto para Companhias Aéreas. Assim, dois Modelos são propostos e aplicados, o primeiro com foco em Companhias Aéreas e o segundo que integra as perspectivas delas e dos passageiros, com relação aos serviços comuns. A construção dos Modelos foi baseada na revisão da literatura e no conhecimento de especialistas dos setores de aeroportos e serviços. A implementação dos modelos foi realizada em dois Aeroportos da América do Sul, um no Brasil e outro na Colômbia, abrangendo os pontos de vista dos atores: Gestores de Aeroporto, Companhias Aéreas e passageiros. Assim, foi possível analisar os aspectos que esses atores valorizam, sua percepção sobre a qualidade e, ainda, proceder a uma análise de gaps. A inclusão do ponto de vista das Companhias Aéreas na avaliação da qualidade dos aeroportos representa uma contribuição à literatura, devido à pouca quantidade de trabalhos sobre o assunto e a importância dos aeroportos atenderem esses clientes. Na prática, os modelos apresentados podem ser usados pelos gestores dos aeroportos como ferramentas para a avaliação de seus serviços, análise do conflito de interesses, integração das perspectivas de passageiros e Companhias Aéreas, e identificação de oportunidades de melhoria. / This paper aims to evaluate the quality of airport services considering the Airlines perspective. Thus, this paper intends to: (i) propose a Quality Attributes-based model for services provided by the Airport operator to airlines; (ii) implement a model for the quality evaluation of those services; and (iii) evaluate the quality of the services provided to passengers and airlines. Two models were proposed and implemented, the first had a focus on airlines and the second integrated the perspectives of airlines and passengers in respect of common services. The models were built based in the literature review and the knowledge of airport and services experts. The implementation of these models was done in two South America airports, one in Brazil and other in Colombia, comprising the point of view of airport managers, airlines and passengers. Consequently, it was possible to analyze the items they value, their perception about quality attributes and also to conduct a Gaps analysis. The inclusion of airline’s point of view in the airport quality assessment represents a contribution to the literature, due to the small amount of papers on the subject and the relevance of these clients. In practice, the proposed models can be used by airport managers for assessing their services, analyzing the conflict interests and the integration between the passengers and airlines perspectives; and identifying opportunities for improvement.

This thesis reports on research into the applicability of intelligent agents in the airline scheduling environment. The methodology employed was to look at intelligent agent research and then, based on this, to build models that can be used to solve some of the airline scheduling problems. The following was done: · An agent-based model was developed that can assist airline schedulers in the maintenance of a disrupted schedule. The agent model consists of a hybrid approach combining elements of machine learning and expert systems. · A multiagent model was developed that can generate a profitable and flyable schedule. The multiagent model developed extends the traditional control structures of the hierarchical agent organisation to a matrix structure. This new model can be extended to any problem domain that deals with resource allocation and capacity management. To guide the thinking behind this research, a few questions were posed regarding the problem to be solved: Q1. Can intelligent agents play a role in the airline industry, with specific focus on the scheduling creation and maintenance process? Q2. What will the design of the agent models be if the scheduling needs of an airline have to be addressed? Q3. If the models as envisioned in question 2 can be created, what will the practical implications be? At a conceptual level the research produced three results: R1. No references were found to multiagent technology in the production or maintenance of airline schedules. This theoretical research into agent systems shows that there is applicability in the scheduling environment, with specific reference to schedule maintenance and generation. R2. An agent model was created that combines declarative knowledge with empirical learning to assist human schedulers in the day-to-day maintenanceof the schedule. Multiple solutions to a scheduling problem are generated by the agent using embedded scheduling rules. The agent then uses the Qlearning algorithm to learn the preferences of the human scheduler. This approach combines the best of expert systems and machine learning. To solve the problem of schedule generation, a multiagent system with a matrix governance model was introduced. Aircraft and airports were modelled as buying and selling agents. The business manager agent that assigns individual aircrafts to specific routes was defined. This was accomplished by matching individual aircraft capacity to origin-destination demand. The agent model was then expanded to show how the inclusion of a resource manager agent can handle system capacity management. This is a matrix governance model, as an aircraft agent is managed by a business manager agent, as well as by a resource manager agent. The initial results from the prototype show that this model can generate profitable and flyable schedules. The multiagent model developed extends the traditional hierarchical agent organisation to that of a matrix structure. The contract net protocol used for typical multiagent coordination was adapted to work in this new control structure. This new model can be extended to any problem domain that deals with resource allocation and capacity management. R3. A few airlines use expert systems to handle schedule disruptions. By introducing machine learning, a flexibility is achieved that is currently not available. The approach proposed for schedule generation is not guaranteed to provide optimal results like traditional operations research techniques, but it is useful for high-level analysis, long-term planning, new hub or alliance planning and research. It also has potential as a catalyst for integrated planning. Keywords: Multiagent systems, airline scheduling / Ehlers, E.M., Prof.

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1979 / Bibliography: leaves 344-347. / by William M. Swan. / Ph. D. / Ph. D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

After an unfortunate series of accidents in the mid 1930’s the Air Transport Association (ATA) lobbied Congress for regulation of the industry. The ATA claimed that unfair competition was endangering the public safety. The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 created the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and gave the CAB the authority to regulate the industry. During the regulation era airline ridership increased and safety improved. During the regulation period, opportunity for comparing the safety record of the regulated industry with the record of the unregulated portions of the industry was limited. The few attempts made rendered inconclusive results. During a period of high inflation and high interest rates in the 1970’s interest in deregulating the airlines arose. With passage of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, interest in the effects of regulation on airline safety was renewed. More than a decade has passed since deregulation. The industry has continued to improve its safety record during the deregulation period. The question remains: "How has deregulation affected airline safety?" In this study records of airline accidents and incidents investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board are examined. The occurrences are divided into those with causes that are under the airlines control and those that are not under their control. Those under the airlines control are regressed against time and a dummy variable for deregulation. The possible effects of airline profitability on the results are also explored. The results indicate that deregulation had an adverse effect on airline safety. The effects of alternative formulations are also examined. The effect though statistically significant is small. It does not suggest the need to return to a regulated airline industry. But, it does suggest the need for additional research into the connection between airline safety and competition.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Mordechai Porath. / M.S.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2016 / Given a flight schedule with fixed departure times and cost, solving the fleet assignment problem assists airlines to find the minimum cost or maximum revenue assignment of aircraft types to flights. The result is that each flight is covered exactly once by an aircraft and the assignment can be flown using the available number of aircraft of each fleet type. This research proposes a novel, non-linear integer programming fleet assignment model which differs from the linear time-space multi-commodity network fleet assignment model which is commonly used in industry. The performance of the proposed model with respect to the amount of time it takes to create a flight schedule is measured. Similarly, the performance of the time-space multicommodity fleet assignment model is also measured. The objective function from both mathematical models is then compared and results reported. Due to the non-linearity of the proposed model, a genetic algorithm (GA) is used to find a solution. The time taken by the GA is slow. The objective function value, however, is the same as that obtained using the time-space multi-commodity network flow model. The proposed mathematical model has advantages in that the solution is easier to interpret. It also simultaneously solves fleet assignment as well as individual aircraft routing. The result may therefore aid in integrating more airline planning decisions such as maintenance routing. / MT2017