A grid-based evolutionary spatial algorithm for airline service design in multi-airport systems

This paper proposes an integrated modeling framework to support airline frequency planning in a multi-airport system. First, a grid-based spatial model is developed to estimate passenger demand as a function of air-service characteristics (such as flight frequency and airfare) and ground accessibility. Second, an evolutionary algorithm is proposed to provide decision support for the allocation of flights to airports belonging to the multi-airport system, subject to fleet availability, flow balance and operational requirements. We apply the proposed approach to model frequent flyer passengers departing from one of the major multi-airport systems in Europe. Our results show that the degree of diversification of a multi-airport system—i.e., the presence of alternative airports—plays a significant role on both the demand and supply sides, providing passengers with more diversified and accessible services and providing airlines with higher operational flexibility and resilience in case of disruptions. Our modeling framework can be extended to capture additional managerial objectives or practical requirements.