Optimal Crew Planning Through Variable Capacity Assignment for Commercial Aircraft Flight Line Maintenance

Abstract

Crew planning and scheduling is researched intensively as it affects the aviation operational costs substantially. Maintenance crew planning is an integral part of the same where less emphasis paid compared to flying crew scheduling. This paper presents an optimal framework for commercial aircraft flight line maintenance labour planning. A mathematical model combined with a management framework named “variable crew assignment” is used to discover optimal crew combinations, shift sizes and shift starting times. Maintenance workforce is used as the main variable and is applied variably to suit the fluctuating demand. The framework is articulated in such a way that it can accommodate different types of aircraft with different maintenance certifications. This optimal framework would enable aircraft maintenance planners to identify most appropriate combinations of crew sizes, shift patterns and respective shift staring times to fulfil varying maintenance demand.