The Flight Gate Assignment Problem Using Metaheutistic Approach

Abstract

Passenger walking distance has been considered as one of the most important indexes of deciding the level of passengers’ satisfactory to airport service quality. Rational and efficient gate assignment is a decisive way to improve airport operation efficiency as well as passenger service level. How to optimize the gate assignment from the perspective of passengers becomes a hot research field at home and abroad since 1974. Success in shortening the walking distance and balance the airlines’ service quality is considered as the main target of much researches on the Flight Gate Assignment Problem (FGAP). In order to confronting this problem of improving service quality of airports, various optimization FGAP models have been established. This study examines the use of metaheuristic approach to provide optimal solution within acceptable computation time. Then, the proposed model as well as suggested algorithm will be applied in real case study of Tan Son Nhat Airport with the data of domestic departure flights from Ho Chi Minh City in a day operation. The computational results validate the proposed model and analyze the advantages of the algorithm. Efficient scheduling flights can fully utilize critical resources and reduce the impact of traffic interaction between airports.