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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Designing air transport networks that serve sparse demands Khayat, Abdulaziz A.

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to formulate a balanced routing strategy for constructing efficient airline networks in situations where travel demand is sparse. The strategy must strike a balance between the various objectives of both the airline operator and the passengers. Integer programming was used to develop three routing algorithms. The algorithms were then used to create three efficient air networks. The networks were designed to attain specific objectives. The first network minimized the total cost of airline operations. This was accomplished by consolidating the traffic demands at a few efficient hub locations to reduce the unit cost of operations, and by reducing the minimum number of required flights that meet all traffic demands. The second network minimized the cost of travel of the passengers by reducing their travel and schedule delay times. The third network was designed to minimize the total combined cost of both the airline and the passengers. This was done by minimizing the airline unit costs of operations, schedule delays, and travel times. As a case study, the domestic air transportation network of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were examined. The routes and links between the different airports in the network were restructured. The study showed that the algorithms were successful in achieving their design goals. The study also showed that the attributes of air transport networks influence both the passengers’ travel cost and the airline operating cost. The total cost and network structure are not independent. Hence, air transport networks must be developed in such a fashion that total costs are minimized and travel service within the network maximized.

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