Generating a flight schedule is one of the most complex planning and scheduling processes
encountered at any major airline. The goal is to provide a schedule which maximizes profit,
simultaneously taking all different restrictions into account. Each aircraft type has a given
capacity, range, and fuel consumption. Airports have opening hours, starting and landing
rights, noise regulations, different ground facilities, and so on. Airline crews are subject to
various rules stipulated by civil authorities, airlines, and unions. Time slots for takeoffs and
landings have to be negotiated at international IAT A meetings. The number of passengers in a
given flight depends, among other things, on the connections provided by competitors.
Thus the list of influence factors is long. In an era of airline deregulation with increasing
competition, it is extremely important to meet the total demand and to allocate all resources in
the most efficient way. This would not be possible without computer-based planning and
scheduling systems which have been in use and continuously improved upon now for several
decades