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Unified Optimization of Traffic Flows Through Airports

Author

Listed:
  • Dimitris Bertsimas

    (Sloan School of Management and Operations Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139)

  • Michael Frankovich

    (Aviation Edge, LLC, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478)

Abstract

We present a novel integer optimization approach to optimize, in a tractable and unified manner, the airport operations optimization problem. This includes solving the entirety of key air traffic flow management problems faced at an airport: (a) selecting a runway configuration sequence, i.e., determining which runways are open at which times and in which mode they operate; (b) assigning flights to runways and determining the sequence in which flights are processed (i.e., when they take off or land); (c) determining the gate-holding duration of departures; and (d) routing flights to their assigned runway and onward within the terminal area and the near-terminal airspace. The key contribution of this paper is the modeling of these problems, which until present have been studied in isolation, under a framework that is both unified and tractable. This allows the possibility of obtaining system-optimal solutions in a practical amount of time. Furthermore, the approach is implemented on historic data sets from both Boston Logan International and Dallas/Fort Worth International airports. Computational experience indicates that significant reductions in delays, fuel use, and emissions can be achieved from this optimization and that computational tractability is such that real-world instances can be solved within five to 10 minutes.

Suggested Citation

  • Dimitris Bertsimas & Michael Frankovich, 2016. "Unified Optimization of Traffic Flows Through Airports," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(1), pages 77-93, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ortrsc:v:50:y:2016:i:1:p:77-93
    DOI: 10.1287/trsc.2015.0590
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dimitris Bertsimas & Michael Frankovich & Amedeo Odoni, 2011. "Optimal Selection of Airport Runway Configurations," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 59(6), pages 1407-1419, December.
    2. Hamsa Balakrishnan & Bala G. Chandran, 2010. "Algorithms for Scheduling Runway Operations Under Constrained Position Shifting," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1650-1665, December.
    3. Harilaos N. Psaraftis, 1980. "A Dynamic Programming Approach for Sequencing Groups of Identical Jobs," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(6), pages 1347-1359, December.
    4. Dimitris Bertsimas & Sarah Stock Patterson, 1998. "The Air Traffic Flow Management Problem with Enroute Capacities," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 46(3), pages 406-422, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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