Comparison of Two MCDM Methodologies in Aircraft Type Selection Problem

Abstract

In order to provide a satisfactory choice while dealing with multiple criteria, planners apply some of the multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) methods as an aid to decision making. As the aircraft type selection embodies inherent multi-criteria decision making, two MCDM methods, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Even Swaps Method (ESM), are applied and illustrated with the case study of a hypothetical regional airline. These methods are compared, as well as solutions they arrived at. Considering the difference between the AHP and ESM, a sensitivity analysis is carried out in different ways. In the AHP, the sensitivity of alternative ratings in respect to different pairwise comparisons of the alternatives is analysed, showing that the AHP is sensitive to this kind of changing. In the even swaps method, the objective ranking across alternatives is varied showing that the ESM is not sensitive at all. The final priority weight for specific aircraft type decreases with the decrease of the domination measure of one aircraft over another with respect to payment conditions, for all aircraft types in the solutions obtained by AHP.