ABSTRACT
Schedules represent one of the primary products of an airline and certainly the leading factor in a passenger's choice of a particular carrier. Scheduling may also be one of the most difficult jobs in any airline. Scheduling is one of the most vital functions in the business—as important as forecasting, pricing, fleet planning, or financing. The schedule planner must take advantage of traffic flow opportunities but cannot wave a magic wand to create such opportunities. Ground service can be arranged in any conceivable schedule pattern, provided that there is no limitation on the gate positions, ground equipment, passenger service facilities, and personnel. The primary purpose of the maintenance organization of an airline is, of course, to provide a safe, salable aircraft for every schedule. The main advantage of the highly developed airline hub-and-spoke operation is that it provides an enormous "multiplier" effect as to the number of city-pairs an airline can serve with a given amount of flight mileage.
