Flight Plan Evaluation for Executed-Route Cost Penalties
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airlines face challenges in assessing the performance of flight plans due to deviations from planned routes, which impact both cost efficiency and environmental efficiency, and lack tools to evaluate actual flight paths effectively.
Innovation Solution
A computer system analyzes flight data using descriptive analytics to detect and quantify cost-impacting events, calculates cost indices for flight segments, and determines cost penalties by comparing actual and nominal indices, allowing for adjustments and corrections in flight plans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If airlines reduce fuel consumption by flying at lower speeds, then fuel costs decrease, but flight duration increases leading to higher time-related costs
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the cost index parameter based on multiple factors including fuel prices, crew costs, maintenance costs, and delay costs. By changing this parameter, the flight management system optimizes the balance between fuel consumption and flight duration, determining the economic speed (ECON Mach number) that minimizes total operating costs rather than simply reducing speed to save fuel
2Adaptability or versatility
If airlines deviate from the planned flight path due to weather or operational issues, then flight safety and adaptability improve, but cost efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors actual flight parameters including position, speed, and fuel consumption, comparing them against the planned flight plan. When deviations occur due to weather or operational issues, the system calculates the actual cost impact and provides feedback for corrective actions, enabling real-time optimization of subsequent flight segments to minimize overall cost penalty
3Loss of energy
If airlines implement comprehensive flight plan evaluation systems, then cost efficiency and environmental efficiency improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple evaluation functions into a unified flight plan evaluation platform that handles cost index calculation, actual flight monitoring, deviation detection, and corrective action recommendation. By making the system multi-functional, it achieves comprehensive cost and environmental efficiency improvement without proportionally increasing complexity, as a single system performs what would otherwise require multiple separate tools
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for evaluating a flight plan with respect to an executed route of an aircraft. An example method includes obtaining data associated with a route of a vehicle. The method further includes determining a first cost index associated with the route based at least in part on a segment of the data. The method further includes comparing the first cost index to a second cost index associated with a plan for the route. The method further includes determining a cost penalty associated with the route based at least in part on the comparison between the first cost index and the second cost index. The method further includes performing one or more actions associated with the vehicle in response to determining the cost penalty.