Patent ID: 7379887

Claim:
A system for rapidly generating multiple alternative pilot training and transition plans which include a recall of furloughed pilots for an entire airline, which comprises: a user interface receiving input data and user requests including a request to recall said furloughed pilots; a database having stored therein said input data and a current pilot training and transition plan; and an optimizer system in electrical communication with said user interface and said database for receiving said user requests, said input data, and said current pilot training and transition plan for generating MIP (mixed integer programming) Model which includes said recall of said furloughed pilot, wherein MIP is mixed integer problem, and rapidly solving said MIP Model to provide said multiple alternative pilot training and transition plans; wherein said MIP Model includes following objective function: Minimize ⁢ ⁢ PNH ⁢ ∑ t ⁢ ⁢ ∑ h ⁢ NH ⁢ Cost ht ⁢ y NHht + PNA ⁢ ∑ t ⁢ ∑ i ∈ NA ⁢ NA ⁢ Cost it ⁢ y it + PF ⁢ ∑ t ⁢ ∑ i ∈ F ⁢ F ⁢ Cost it ⁢ y it + Ppay ( ∑ i ∈ λ 1 ⁢ a i ⁢ R i + ∑ i ∈ 58 ⁢ Y ⁢ a i ⁢ R 58 ⁢ i + ∑ i ∈ λ 2 ⁢ a i ⁢ M i ) + PS * PBH ⁢ ∑ h ⁢ ∑ t ⁢ S ht / Blockhrs ht + PE * PBH * ( 1 / 3 ) ⁢ ∑ h ⁢ ∑ t ⁢ E ht / Blockhrs ht + PF ⁢ ∑ t ⁢ ∑ i ∈ λ FR ⁢ FR ⁢ Cost it ⁢ y FRit wherein PNH is Level of importance of New Hire Cost in the solution; NHCost ht is Cost per new hire advanced to position h in period t (computed as the number of month between t and the end of the planning horizon, times the pay rate, times the average pay hours); PNA is Level of importance of no-awards cost in the solution; NACost it is Cost if pilot iεNA is released in bid period t (computed as the number of months between t and the beginning of the planning horizon, times the pay rate, times the average pay hours); FCost it is Cost if pilot iεF is furloughed in bid period t (computed as the number of months between t and the beginning of the planning horizon, times the pay rate, times the average pay hours); Ppay is Level of importance of pay protection cost in the solution; PS is Level of importance of shortages in block hours in the solution; PE is Level of importance of excess in block hours in the solution; PF is Level of importance of furloughs cost in the solution; PBH is Cost associated to each block hour missed due lack of crews; and Block ht is Business plan block hours for position h in bid period t.