SOLVING AIRLINE CREW ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM BY USING COLUMN PENALTY METHOD

Abstract Crew scheduling problem (CSP) is among the hardest optimization problems where crew costs are the second highest expenses for airlines. This makes it a crucial factor for an airline's survival. The scheduling process is composed of the Crew Pairing Problem (CPP) and the Crew Assignment Problem (CAP). A new approach to address the airline crew assignment problem will be comprehensively explored in this research paper. The purpose of this article is to present an effective means of optimizing crew pairings that would reduce expenses and time away from the base of crews. This model through the use of Column Penalty Method (CPM), uses less required matrix order, iteration and number of tables as well as the steps involved in the problem presents an efficient optimal solution. This approach consists of mainly two stages: generating crew pairings and optimization phase. The data have been collected from the airline companies that shows that the optimal solution obtained by Column Penalty Method is better than the existing methods.