An Airlift Hub-and-Spoke Location-Routing Model with Time Windows: Case Study of the CONUS-to-Korea Airlift Problem
Abstract
Traditionally, the United States Air Force's Air Mobility Command (AMC) has used the concept of direct delivery to airlift cargo and passengers from a point of embarkation to a point of debarkation. This study develops an alternative hub-and-spoke combined location-routing integer linear programming prototype model, and uses this model to determine what advantages a hub-and-spoke system offers, and in which scenarios it is better-suited than the direct delivery method. Additionally, the analysis suggests that the C-17 may be better-suited, in certain airlift situations, for theater airlift versus strategic (direct delivery) airlift. The model features the following elements: time windows, cargo tracking capability, multiple frequency servicing, aircraft basing assignments and routing, and the selection of the optimal number of local-delivery aircraft to be used. The model is an extension on the following works: the hierarchical model of Perl and Daskin (1983), time windows features of Chan (1991), combining subtour-breaking and range constraints of Kulkarni and Bhave (1985), and multiple servicing frequency via the clustering co-location method for binary variables of Baker (1991). Additionally, an original approach for cargo tracking is developed and incorporated. A notional CONUS-to-Korea transoceanic airlift problem is used to demonstrate the numerous features and power of the model.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA342179
Entities
People
- David W. Cox
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology