A Bi-Objective Integer Linear Optimization Model for Post-Departure Aircraft Rerouting Problem

In as early as the 1980s, air traffic flow management actions (ATFM), as supplementary strategies to match the demand for air travel with the available resource capacities, have been widely discussed and evaluated based on its implementation and probable trade-offs between conflicting and diverse interests of stakeholders in the commercial aviation industry. Among the ATFM actions—ground holding, airborne holding, speed controlling, and rerouting—rerouting is found to be a viable recourse particularly when flights are already at its en-route phase, where the presumed and more favored based on safety considerations, holding of flights on the ground, becomes completely infeasible. Some research works put forward relevant solution approaches including deterministic and stochastic mathematical programming models, machine learning algorithms, and simulation models. Despite the relevance and validity demonstrated by such models in testbed environments, even on a large-scale basis, these models failed to sufficiently capture the individual and collective interests of stakeholders altogether. Considering that the decision process in the air transportation system is taken part by stakeholders (i.e., airlines, air traffic control), previous research works tend to satisfy only one stakeholder by incorporating one or more of its interests (e.g., cost minimization, reduction of distance traveled). Such a case does not take full regard to how a stakeholder-specific solution might affect another stakeholder’s preference. Therefore, this paper aims to address the post-departure aircraft rerouting problem by proposing a multiple stakeholder-based target-oriented robust-optimization (MS-TORO) approach that incorporates the individual interests of stakeholders. A hypothetical case study is conducted to illustrate the proposed model. It can be noted that a significant shift of route preference occurs as goals are aligned in terms of the individual interests of the stakeholders and that of their collective goal. The results of this work can provide practical insights to stakeholders in the course of decision-making in a particular area of the air transportation domain.