1030 Delta Boulevard

Delta Air Lines flies over 2,500 domestic flight legs every day, using about 450 aircraft from 10 different fleets. The fleet as-signment problem is to match aircraft to flight legs so that seats are fllled with paying passengers. Recent advances in mathe-matical programming algorithms and computer hardv^are make it possible to solve optimization problems of this scope for the first time. Delta is the first airline to solve to completion one of the largest and most difficult problems in this industry. Use of the Coldstart model is expected to save Delta Air Lines $300 million over the next three years. D elta Air Lines has over 2,500 domes- It has been said that an airline seat is the tic flight departures every day. This most perishable commodity in the world, includes flights to Canada and Mexico but Each time an airliner takes off with an excludes the other international routes. empty seat, a revenue opportunity is lost Delta has about 450 aircraft available to fly forever. So the schedule must be designed these flights. The aircraft are divided by to capture as much business as possible, aircraft type into fleets or groups, of which maximizing revenues with as little direct Delta has 10. The intricate pattern that the operating cost as possible. Delta aircraft fly along the route system is An airline combines the worst of both called the schedule. The schedule is the worlds. The capital intensive quality of a very heartbeat of an airline. manufacturing environment is combine