An Assessment of Factors Influencing Airline Disruption Management Decisions Through R-SWARA Method

Objective: This study aims to identify the key criteria determining operational decisions to disruptions in airline operations and analyze the importance weights of these criteria.. Method: In this context, a literature review was conducted to identify potential criteria influencing disruption management decisions. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were held with experts working in airline operations control centers to finalize the criteria. Additionally, the relative importance weights of these factors were determined using the expert-focused R-SWARA (Rough Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) method. Results: The findings reveal that flight safety is the most significant criterion in the decision-making process of airlines' disruption management. Security ranked as the second most important criterion in the current study. The rankings of other criteria also provide valuable scientific insights for further examination. Originality: Research on airline disruption management primarily focuses on optimizing responses to operational disruptions and developing new solution models. These studies have predominantly employed mathematical optimization models to minimize the adverse effects of disruptions. However, no research has been found that utilizes decision-making methods to prioritize the criteria influencing responses to such disruptions. Addressing this topic as a decision-making problem in this study provides a macro perspective on the perspectives influencing the resolution of disruption management challenges.