Article ID: | iaor200969002 |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Volume: | 60 |
Issue: | 7 |
Start Page Number: | 962 |
End Page Number: | 972 |
Publication Date: | Jul 2009 |
Journal: | Journal of the Operational Research Society |
Authors: | Cheng R C H, Brentnall A R |
Keywords: | scheduling, vehicle routing & scheduling, queues: applications, simulation: applications |
Although various airport landing sequencing algorithms have been considered in the literature, little work has been done in comparing their effects on Air Traffic Control, especially against first-come first-served (FCFS) runway sequences, the method most widely used in practice. This paper compares a number of such algorithms using a discrete-event simulation model of an airport with a single landing runway. Statistical methods are used to test for effects of sequencing algorithm, delay-sharing strategy, arrival rate and wake-vortex mix. Little benefit to delay, or stability of sequencing advice, is found from advanced sequencing when small changes are made to inputs calibrated to a specific airspace. Advanced sequencing improves landing rate, compared with FCFS sequencing, only when aircraft arrival rate is greater than maximum runway landing rate, and wake-vortex mix is sufficiently varied. Constrained position shifting constraints limit these improvements and it is shown that deterministic optimal techniques may actually be sub-optimal in a dynamic environment. Our main conclusion is that FCFS is a robust method under many conditions.