A Simulation Approach to Enhancing Aircraft Availability

Abstract

This study presents a simulation approach to evaluate a potential strategy for dispatching aircraft at Embry – Riddle Aeronautical University. The current method of assigning aircraft to students is based on the highest utilization. A new strategy is proposed where the maintenance time is also incorporated into the aircraft utilization. Various performance measures such as aircraft availability, number of cancellations due to unavailability of aircraft, maintenance manpower and number of aircraft at maintenance hangar are examined under both methods. The analysis of the two methods suggests that changing the priority method in aircraft dispatch does not produce significant change in the system. Although both models are similar, the large deviations and variations in the proposed dispatch method discourage it from being implemented in its current form.