Simulation Model for Sustainable Management of the Air Cargo Screening Process

Abstract

This article presents a novel model for the management of air cargo shipment screening. Previous research has focused solely on making the air cargo screening process as efficient as possible. These scientific papers did not look at the costs generated by the improper selection of technical equipment for the cargo handled. The challenge is to be able to complete the entire screening process in the expected time with the lowest possible energy consumption. This article presents a discrete-event simulation model for the balanced planning of air cargo screening. The innovation of this solution is the parallel analysis of process performance and energy consumption. The user receives two variables (energy consumption and process execution time) in relation to the number of cargo shipments handled. The user can therefore control the process by taking these variables into account. This will allow the user to find the right system configuration for the preferences desired. It is possible to strike a balance between achieved process efficiency and energy consumption. This approach has not been considered so far. Given that energy consumption constitutes 15% of operating costs at airports, this is an important issue that needs to be addressed.