An overview of air delay: A case study of the Brazilian scenario

Abstract

Delay is a key point in air transportation activity. As a performance metric, it affects common policy concerns. Delay impacts passenger satisfaction and imposes costs. The complexity that sets in for the air traffic manager is how to mitigate delay, especially in an environment with several stakeholders. The present article applied a problem-structuring method (PSM), named value-focused thinking (VFT), to structure the problem of the air traffic flow management arrival delay. The inflexibility of incorporating a flight operator's specific needs is considered one of the reasons for the limited success of air traffic flow management (ATFM) programs. PSM allows participants to clarify their dilemmas, converge on a mutually liable problem, or agree to the proposed solutions and compromise on what partially solves the issue. The problem is that most papers focus only on the applied solution for air delay mitigation. Before implementing operational research techniques, we investigated the nature and characteristics of air delay. Results showed that there were several stakeholders with distinctive requirements for their business and many of their objectives are interconnected. The use of VFT provided an objective map that can be used as a guide for future solutions.