Airport Airside Optimisation Problems

This chapter aims to give the reader an accessible overview of airside airport operational research problems, with a particular focus upon runway scheduling, which is the subject of the case study. A number of problems are described, highlighting the direction of the research in each area and pointing the reader towards key publications where more information can be gained. Some of the surrounding problems are also outlined, to better understand the airport context. A case study is then provided, describing a system which was developed to aid runway controllers at Heathrow. Importantly, this considers a combination of two separate problems and the way in which these are simultaneously handled by the solution method. Results are provided for the presented case study, showing the potential benefits of decision support in that area. The chapter ends with a discussion of the likely ongoing importance of considering increasingly realistic objectives and constraints, of combining problems, and of targeting the environmental challenge at airports.