Short Term Scheduling of Airplanes: Handling Weather Issues
Short-Term Scheduling
GLOBAL COMPANY PROFILE:
Scheduling Airplanes When Weather Is the Enemy
Throughout the ordeals of tornadoes, ice storms, and snowstorms, airlines across the globe struggle to cope with delays, cancellation, and furious passengers. Close to 10% of Delta Airline’s flights are disrupted in a typical year, half because of weather; the cost is the $440 million in lost revenue, overtime pay, and food and lodging vouchers.
Now Delta is taking the sting out of the scheduling nightmares that come from weather-related problems with its recently opened $33-million high-tech nerve center adjacent to the Atlanta Airport. From computers to telecommunications systems to deicers, Delta’s new Operations Control Center more quickly notifies customers of schedule changes, reroutes flights, and gets jets into the air.
With earlier access to information, the center’s staff of 18 pores over streams of data transmitted by computers. Using mathematical scheduling models described in this chapter, Delta decides on schedule and route changes. It’s software, called the Inconvenienced Passenger Rebooking System, notifies passengers of cancellation or delays and even books them onto rival airlines if necessary. With 100,000 passengers flying into and out of Atlanta everyday, Delta estimates its new scheduling efforts save $35 million a year.
The Strategic Importance of Short-Term Scheduling
1. By scheduling effectively, companies use assets more effectively and create greater capacity per dollar invested, which, in turn, lowers cost.
2. This added capacity and related flexibility provides faster delivery and, therefore, better customer service.
3. Good scheduling is a competitive advantage because it contributes to dependable delivery.
SCHEDULING ISSUES
• Scheduling deals with the timing of operations.
• It involves assigning due dates to specific jobs.
Scheduling Techniques
Forward Scheduling
- A schedule that begins as soon as the requirements are
GLOBAL COMPANY PROFILE:
Scheduling Airplanes When Weather Is the Enemy
Throughout the ordeals of tornadoes, ice storms, and snowstorms, airlines across the globe struggle to cope with delays, cancellation, and furious passengers. Close to 10% of Delta Airline’s flights are disrupted in a typical year, half because of weather; the cost is the $440 million in lost revenue, overtime pay, and food and lodging vouchers.
Now Delta is taking the sting out of the scheduling nightmares that come from weather-related problems with its recently opened $33-million high-tech nerve center adjacent to the Atlanta Airport. From computers to telecommunications systems to deicers, Delta’s new Operations Control Center more quickly notifies customers of schedule changes, reroutes flights, and gets jets into the air.
With earlier access to information, the center’s staff of 18 pores over streams of data transmitted by computers. Using mathematical scheduling models described in this chapter, Delta decides on schedule and route changes. It’s software, called the Inconvenienced Passenger Rebooking System, notifies passengers of cancellation or delays and even books them onto rival airlines if necessary. With 100,000 passengers flying into and out of Atlanta everyday, Delta estimates its new scheduling efforts save $35 million a year.
The Strategic Importance of Short-Term Scheduling
1. By scheduling effectively, companies use assets more effectively and create greater capacity per dollar invested, which, in turn, lowers cost.
2. This added capacity and related flexibility provides faster delivery and, therefore, better customer service.
3. Good scheduling is a competitive advantage because it contributes to dependable delivery.
SCHEDULING ISSUES
• Scheduling deals with the timing of operations.
• It involves assigning due dates to specific jobs.
Scheduling Techniques
Forward Scheduling
- A schedule that begins as soon as the requirements are