Multi-objective gate assignment based on robustness in hub airports

Abstract

To enhance the robustness of the gate assignment, reduce the possibility of flight conflict, and improve the quality of passenger services, a multi-objective gate assignment model is proposed by minimizing flight conflict probability and number of flights assigned to aprons. The biogeography-based optimization algorithm is used to solve the proposed model with a new method for estimating the conflict probability. The simulation results show that the ratio of interval time of two flights assigned to the same gate between 60 and 120 min is as high as 82% when the rate of the flights assigned to aprons is controlled below 0.4. This means that the robustness increases greatly, and the probability of flight conflicts decreases, which is beneficial to the implement of flight assignment plan. In addition, the biogeography-based optimization algorithm is more effective to solve the proposed model and very easy to find out the optimal solutions.