An Integer Optimization Approach to Large-Scale Air Traffic Flow Management

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bertsimas, Dimitris; Lulli, Guglielmo; Odoni, Amedeo
• 署名单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); University of Milano-Bicocca; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• 刊物名称: OPERATIONS RESEARCH
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0030-364X
• DOI: 10.1287/opre.1100.0899
• 发表日期: 2011
• 页码: 211-227
• 关键词: decision-making model

摘要

This paper presents a new integer programming (IP) model for large-scale instances of the air traffic flow management (ATFM) problem. The model covers all the phases of each flight-i.e., takeoff, en route cruising, and landing-and solves for an optimal combination of flow management actions, including ground-holding, rerouting, speed control, and airborne holding on a flight-by-flight basis. A distinguishing feature of the model is that it allows for rerouting decisions. This is achieved through the imposition of sets of local conditions that make it possible to represent rerouting options in a compact way by only introducing some new constraints. Moreover, three classes of valid inequalities are incorporated into the model to strengthen the polyhedral structure of the underlying relaxation. Computational times are short and reasonable for practical application on problem instances of size comparable to that of the entire U. S. air traffic management system. Thus, the proposed model has the potential of serving as the main engine for the preliminary identification, on a daily basis, of promising air traffic flow management interventions on a national scale in the United States or on a continental scale in Europe.