Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML
The aim of a study carried out by the Fraunhofer IML Project Center Aviation Logistics was to get information which will lead to the optimization of the airport's overall system through improved information flows and harmonized decisions between the different process partners.
The process participants who are responsible for the air traffic and handling processes have optimized their sub processes according to their own requirements. This optimization, however, gave insufficient attention to the effects of decisions concerning planning and operation on the process partners, their processes and interfaces. This interrelation was studied for the Frankfurt / Main airport. First of all, all relevant sub processes, their interfaces and the respective process participants were determined through expert discussions and document evaluations. The process chain method and a specially developed information matrix were used to represent the processes.
On this basis, the quality of the prior planning and control of processes and their effects on the participants was analyzed under consideration of the requirements on an optimal overall process. The weak points and problems which were detected in the analysis were condensed into problem fields. Initial solutions were determined as a basis for the development of an optimized comprehensive traffic control and handling concept which was agreed upon by all process partners.