ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the complex task of developing a flight schedule. Airline planning encompasses strategic forecasts developed by a small staff to short-range tactical planning involving several departments and many managers. Flight schedule development builds on the existing schedule and begins about one year in advance of operation. Long-range planning extending out 5 to as much as 20 years begins with a corporate vision and mission statement. The flight schedule is the airline’s core product designed to solve the customer’s time-space problem. The flight schedule, sometimes known as the schedule of services, lists the destinations or routes operated, the flight frequency and times, and type of aircraft assigned to each flight. The flight schedule seeks to maximize network revenues by matching flights and capacity with passenger demand. The schedule is a compromise between flight capacity and frequency. The flight schedule is subject to disruptions, particularly for weather and aircraft mechanical problems.
