Problems in Air Traffic Flow ManagementAirlines and the FAA collectively manage the flow of aircraft around the USSome types of problems are difficult to solveEvaluating a modelMore “traditional” approaches often conflict with optimizationThe traditional approach values solutions differently, as wellProblems in Air Traffic Flow ManagementESD.342 Spring 2006Assignment #1Michael HanowskyFebruary 14, 2006Airlines and the FAA collectively manage the flow of aircraft around the US• Objective:– Strategic and tactical routing of aircraft– Minimize the “cost”: fuel, labor, risk, lost goodwill of customers– Analyze the entire system as a whole•Tools:– Mathematics– Optimal Algorithms• X “is the provably best way to” do something• Examples: – Creating an airline schedule– Rerouting aircraft during periods of inclement weatherSome types of problems are difficult to solve• Problems are too large and, therefore, cannot be solved by optimal algorithms• Some aspects of the problem cannot be modeled mathematically– For example, how do you define equity?– Experience counts when it comes to modeling qualitative factors in a quantitative manner• There is a tradeoff between how much of a problem is considered mathematically and how easy the math is to solveEvaluating a model• Analytical models always make some type of assumption– Data requirements– Practicality– Risk/Uncertainty– Static/Dynamics– Decision Makers• A good model– Minimizes major assumptions– Is conceptually sound/similar to the system– Can be used to predict future behavior– Can be solved in hours/daysMore “traditional” approaches often conflict with optimization• In practice, the industry (FAA, airlines) approach the problem differently– Decisions are made based upon “feel”, intuition, or policy– Problems are often highly stochastic *and* qualitative– Decision are made on the fly by separate actors– “Optimization” work occurs only in isolated departments• In making decisions– Experiential learning is key– Difficult problems are those for which there is no prior experienceThe traditional approach values solutions differently, as well• A good solution– Follows procedure, allowing separate actors to make cohesive decisions– Avoids crisis points and disasters– Is economically efficient• The disparity between the academic and practical approaches poses an additional challenge to
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