IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v340y2025ics0360544225048297.html

Sustainable airline operations: A season-based optimization framework for flight scheduling and aircraft assignment

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Linlin
  • Han, Shuihua

Abstract

Global air transport networks face significant challenges in optimizing flight scheduling and aircraft assignment due to network complexity and market volatility. This study addresses the critical problem of sustainable flight schedule optimization and aircraft allocation. Taking the carbon emission into account, we construct a dual-objective optimization model aiming to maximize operational profits and minimize carbon emissions. The model scale is reduced through time segmentation and variable optimization strategies. A spatio-temporal non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (ST-NSGA) is developed to solve the proposed model. Numerical experiments demonstrate the efficacy of our approach: the ST-NSGA delivers near-optimal solutions, with a mere 2.68 % gap compared to the Gurobi solver on tractable problem sizes. Furthermore, comparative studies show that our multi-objective strategy achieves an 11.26 % reduction in carbon emission without compromising profitability. The ST-NSGA also exhibits superior performance than other multi-objective optimization algorithm in solving large-scale instances. These findings confirm that the proposed model and algorithm significantly enhance the sustainability of flight operations while maintaining economic viability.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Linlin & Han, Shuihua, 2025. "Sustainable airline operations: A season-based optimization framework for flight scheduling and aircraft assignment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:340:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225048297
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.139187
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225048297
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.139187?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fabricio Previgliano & Gustavo Vulcano, 2022. "Managing Uncertain Capacities for Network Revenue Optimization," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 24(2), pages 1202-1219, March.
    2. He, Yonghuan & Ma, Hoi-Lam & Park, Woo-Yong & Liu, Shi Qiang & Chung, Sai-Ho, 2023. "Maximizing robustness of aircraft routing with heterogeneous maintenance tasks," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Glomb, Lukas & Liers, Frauke & Rösel, Florian, 2023. "Optimizing integrated aircraft assignment and turnaround handling," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 310(3), pages 1051-1071.
    4. Xu, Yifan & Adler, Nicole & Wandelt, Sebastian & Sun, Xiaoqian, 2024. "Competitive integrated airline schedule design and fleet assignment," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 314(1), pages 32-50.
    5. Atalay Atasu & Charles J. Corbett & Ximin (Natalie) Huang & L. Beril Toktay, 2020. "Sustainable Operations Management Through the Perspective of Manufacturing & Service Operations Management," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 22(1), pages 146-157, January.
    6. Pilla, Venkata L. & Rosenberger, Jay M. & Chen, Victoria & Engsuwan, Narakorn & Siddappa, Sheela, 2012. "A multivariate adaptive regression splines cutting plane approach for solving a two-stage stochastic programming fleet assignment model," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 216(1), pages 162-171.
    7. Liang, Zhe & Xiao, Fan & Qian, Xiongwen & Zhou, Lei & Jin, Xianfei & Lu, Xuehua & Karichery, Sureshan, 2018. "A column generation-based heuristic for aircraft recovery problem with airport capacity constraints and maintenance flexibility," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 70-90.
    8. Schiffer, Maximilian & Schneider, Michael & Laporte, Gilbert, 2018. "Designing sustainable mid-haul logistics networks with intra-route multi-resource facilities," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 265(2), pages 517-532.
    9. Kenan, Nabil & Diabat, Ali & Jebali, Aida, 2018. "Codeshare agreements in the integrated aircraft routing problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 117(PA), pages 272-295.
    10. Jaehn, Florian, 2016. "Sustainable Operations," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 253(2), pages 243-264.
    11. Xu, Yifan & Wandelt, Sebastian & Sun, Xiaoqian, 2021. "Airline integrated robust scheduling with a variable neighborhood search based heuristic," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 181-203.
    12. Wu, Jiang & Zhang, Pei-wen & Wang, Yu & Shi, Jim (Junmin), 2022. "Integrated aviation model and metaheuristic algorithm for hub-and-spoke network design and airline fleet planning," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    13. Sherali, Hanif D. & Bish, Ebru K. & Zhu, Xiaomei, 2006. "Airline fleet assignment concepts, models, and algorithms," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 172(1), pages 1-30, July.
    14. Cynthia Barnhart & Natashia L. Boland & Lloyd W. Clarke & Ellis L. Johnson & George L. Nemhauser & Rajesh G. Shenoi, 1998. "Flight String Models for Aircraft Fleeting and Routing," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(3), pages 208-220, August.
    15. Wang, Yu & Sun, Huimin & Lin, Yiming & Cui, Qiang & Shen, Yanxin & Li, Xin, 2024. "An interval-valued estimation method of aircraft route carbon emission: A function of aircraft seat capacity and route flight time," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 294(C).
    16. Singh, Jagroop & Sharma, Somesh Kumar & Srivastava, Rajnish, 2019. "What drives Indian Airlines operational expense: An econometric model," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 32-38.
    17. Safaei, Nima & Jardine, Andrew K.S., 2018. "Aircraft routing with generalized maintenance constraints," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 111-122.
    18. Sun, Tian & Di, Kaisheng & Shi, Qiumei & Hu, Jin & Zhang, Xihui, 2024. "Study on the development path of low-carbon retail clusters empowered by digital empowerment," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    19. Huang, Lei & Xiao, Fan & Zhou, Jing & Duan, Zhenya & Zhang, Hua & Liang, Zhe, 2023. "A machine learning based column-and-row generation approach for integrated air cargo recovery problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    20. Gong, Yeming & Liu, Jiawen & Zhu, Joe, 2019. "When to increase firms’ sustainable operations for efficiency? A data envelopment analysis in the retailing industry," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 277(3), pages 1010-1026.
    21. Xiao, Fan & Guo, Siqi & Huang, Lin & Huang, Lei & Liang, Zhe, 2022. "Integrated aircraft tail assignment and cargo routing problem with through cargo consideration," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 328-351.
    22. Di, Kaisheng & Chen, Weidong & Shi, Qiumei & Cai, Quanling & Liu, Sichen, 2024. "Analysing the impact of coupled domestic demand dynamics of green and low-carbon consumption in the market based on SEM-ANN," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    23. Sun, Tian & Di, Kaisheng & Hu, Jin & Shi, Qiumei & Irfan, Muhammad, 2025. "Digitally empowered green public services in environmentally vulnerable areas: Insights from SEM-ANN analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    24. Yeming Gong & Jiawen Liu & Joe Zhu, 2019. "When to increase firms’ sustainable operations for efficiency? A data envelopment analysis in the retailing industry," Post-Print hal-02312352, HAL.
    25. Ben Ahmed, Mohamed & Zeghal Mansour, Farah & Haouari, Mohamed, 2018. "Robust integrated maintenance aircraft routing and crew pairing," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 15-31.
    26. Birolini, Sebastian & Antunes, António Pais & Cattaneo, Mattia & Malighetti, Paolo & Paleari, Stefano, 2021. "Integrated flight scheduling and fleet assignment with improved supply-demand interactions," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 162-180.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wandelt, Sebastian & Signori, Andrea & Chang, Shuming & Wang, Shuang & Du, Zhuoming & Sun, Xiaoqian, 2025. "Unleashing the potential of operations research in air transport: A review of applications, methods, and challenges," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    2. Jiang, Jianlin & Zhang, Sijia & Tang, Yucong & Guo, Yuzhen & Wu, Cheng-Lung, 2025. "ADMM-based augmented Lagrangian methods for robust aircraft recovery problem considering connection time, resource capacity and maintenance flexibility," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    3. Zhou, Tianwei & He, Pengcheng & Dai, Weibin & Liu, Ziheng & Gao, Changlong & Huang, Yumiao & Chen, Huan & Geng, Yankun & Niu, Ben, 2026. "Integrated recovery of air cargo transportation under various abnormal scenarios," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 329(3), pages 864-877.
    4. Guardo-Martinez, Elisa & Onggo, Stephan & Kunc, Martin & Padrón, Silvia & Tomasella, Maurizio, 2026. "Robust airline scheduling with turnaround under uncertainty: towards collaborative airline scheduling," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    5. Xu, Yifan & Adler, Nicole & Wandelt, Sebastian & Sun, Xiaoqian, 2024. "Competitive integrated airline schedule design and fleet assignment," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 314(1), pages 32-50.
    6. Wandelt, Sebastian & Wang, Shuang & Chen, Xinyue & Zheng, Changhong & Chang, Shuming & Sun, Xiaoqian, 2025. "Network structures in air transportation: A comprehensive review of applications and challenges," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Xiao, Fan & Guo, Siqi & Huang, Lin & Huang, Lei & Liang, Zhe, 2022. "Integrated aircraft tail assignment and cargo routing problem with through cargo consideration," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 328-351.
    8. Birolini, Sebastian & Jacquillat, Alexandre & Cattaneo, Mattia & Antunes, António Pais, 2021. "Airline Network Planning: Mixed-integer non-convex optimization with demand–supply interactions," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 100-124.
    9. Xu, Yifan & Wandelt, Sebastian & Sun, Xiaoqian, 2021. "Airline integrated robust scheduling with a variable neighborhood search based heuristic," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 181-203.
    10. Ding, Yida & Wandelt, Sebastian & Wu, Guohua & Xu, Yifan & Sun, Xiaoqian, 2023. "Towards efficient airline disruption recovery with reinforcement learning," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    11. Wen, Xin & Sun, Xuting & Ma, Hoi-Lam & Sun, Yige, 2022. "A column generation approach for operational flight scheduling and aircraft maintenance routing," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    12. Huang, Lei & Xiao, Fan & Zhou, Jing & Duan, Zhenya & Zhang, Hua & Liang, Zhe, 2023. "A machine learning based column-and-row generation approach for integrated air cargo recovery problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    13. Bao, Chunyu & Li, Min & Pei, Yiying, 2026. "Customer flow spillovers in retailers' short- and long-term decisions: Profitability and dynamic mechanisms," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    14. Ma, Hoi-Lam & Sun, Yige & Chung, Sai-Ho & Chan, Hing Kai, 2022. "Tackling uncertainties in aircraft maintenance routing: A review of emerging technologies," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).
    15. Yang, Huijuan & Buire, Clara & Delahaye, Daniel & Le, Meilong, 2024. "A heuristic-based multi-objective flight schedule generation framework for airline connectivity optimisation in bank structure: An empirical study on Air China in Chengdu," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    16. Sun, Xuting & Zhao, Xiaoyao & Chung, Sai-Ho & Ma, Hoi-Lam, 2025. "An interactive decision making framework design for the outsourcing cooperation between the service provider and the airline: An exact bilevel method," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    17. Huang, Lei & Wang, Wenshu & Su, Yi & Li, Fujuan & Liang, Zhe, 2024. "Integrated aircraft routing and cargo routing problem for combination airlines," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    18. Wen, Xin & Chung, Sai-Ho & Choi, Tsan-Ming & Fu, Xiaowen, 2024. "Airline cabin crew pairing with accurate characterization of cross-class substitution: A branch-and-price approach," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    19. Khaled, Oumaima & Minoux, Michel & Mousseau, Vincent & Michel, Stéphane & Ceugniet, Xavier, 2018. "A multi-criteria repair/recovery framework for the tail assignment problem in airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 137-151.
    20. Hanif D. Sherali & Ki-Hwan Bae & Mohamed Haouari, 2013. "An Integrated Approach for Airline Flight Selection and Timing, Fleet Assignment, and Aircraft Routing," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(4), pages 455-476, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:340:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225048297. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.