Stochastic models for air cargo terminal manpower supply planning in long-term operations

In this research, based on two deterministic-demand planning models, we established two long-term stochastic-demand planning models by incorporating the stochastic disturbances of manpower demands that occur in actual operations. The models are formulated as mixed integer linear programs that are solved using a mathematical programming solver. To compare the performance of the two stochastic-demand and two deterministic-demand planning models under the stochastic demands that occur in actual operations, we further develop a simulation-based evaluation method. Finally, we perform numerical tests using real operating data from a Taiwan air cargo terminal. The preliminary results show that the stochastic models could be useful for planning air cargo terminal manpower supply.