Integration of weather information into the dispatcher pre-flight route selection process

Abstract

This paper describes a field study of the procedures and weather information sources used by a major airline's dispatchers in the pre-flight route selection process in the presence of significant weather. Additionally, this paper will describe how the AWIN decision-support tool, an aide for selecting optimal four-dimensional routes that avoid weather hazards, could be incorporated into the flight dispatch process to produce safer, more fuel-efficient routes that avoid hazardous weather. The challenges lie in effectively integrating route and weather information in the same application to facilitate decision-making, and to standardize the definitions of what weather is to be avoided and the thresholds of severity across an airline's dispatchers. The current work processes of a major airline's dispatchers were studied via a combination of observational field studies, interviews, written questionnaires, and surveys. With such a system in place, airlines can expect gains in safety, in fuel efficiency of planned routes, and in time efficiency in the preflight dispatch process.

Original document

The different versions of the original document can be found in:

• http://www.imse.iastate.edu/dorneich/files/2013/02/2002-07-31_DASC02_307_Dorneich.pdf

• http://www.imse.iastate.edu/dorneich/files/2013/02/2002-07-31_DASC02_307_Dorneich.pdf,

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=1052913,

https://academic.microsoft.com/#/detail/2099008541

• http://xplorestaging.ieee.org/ielx5/8122/22473/01052913.pdf?arnumber=1052913,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/dasc.2002.1052913