One disruption. A system of decisions.
Coordinating aircraft, passengers and crew when a disrupted schedule must be repaired quickly.
External case study
Original work: Lufthansa Group × Google. Commentary by Meromorphic.
- Aircraft
- Passengers
- Crew
Problem
A delayed flight can affect aircraft availability, passenger connections and crew feasibility. Repairing these decisions independently can introduce further conflicts, while a useful recovery plan is needed quickly.
Result
The January 2026 paper reports daily use at SWISS. It distinguishes benefits realised there from projected benefits across the wider group.
Method
Davies and coauthors describe the Operations Decision Support Suite, using decomposition techniques and heuristics to consider the interacting recovery decisions. The approach accounts for the time available to produce an operational decision.
Why it matters
Coordinating aircraft, passengers and crew can prevent one local repair from creating a new disruption elsewhere. A useful recovery tool produces a feasible plan within the time available to act.
Methodology and limitations
- The published system is specific to airline recovery, its constraints and integration work.
- The decision graphic illustrates the three interacting parts of recovery.