Optimal flight scheduling models for cargo airlines under alliances

In this paper we develop several coordinated scheduling models combining airport selection, fleet routing and timetable setting, in order to help airlines solve for the most satisfactory cargo fleet routes and timetables when they enter into alliances. We employ network flow techniques to construct the models, which are formulated as a multiple commodity network flow problem and can be solved using a mathematical programming solver. To evaluate the models, we perform numerical tests based on real operating data from two Taiwan airlines. The preliminary results are good, showing that the models would be useful for airline alliances.