A simulation model for optimizing the performance of jetways system at Cairo Airport (Terminal2)

Abstract

In this thesis two approaches have been applied on the jetways system of Cairo Airport:

The first approach is the discrete-event simulation, where we built a simulation mod.el for the existing system - called Current Simulation Model - and the other five are the proposed models - originally the Current model with a step wise addition of a single jetway to them - and in each time the performance measures were evaluated . It has been found that the total revenue of the system - which is considered the most important measure- raised from $5,858,825 in the Current Simulation Model to$ 6,241,697, while the aircraft waiting time had reduced from 170.1 to 2.3 minutes. In the same approach the number of ungated flights - due to the leakage of proper idle jetways - decreased from 568.2 to 2.26 flights from Current Simulation Model to Current Simulation Model + 5 additional jetways.

The second approach was the redistribution of the flights arrival times , and because• the utility of the Current system is only 0.461 which suggesting no additional jetways to the system, and although we certifying that this approach needs a high coordination between the Airport Authority and the different airlines using the system -about 26 airlines- but this approach was studied as an additional proposal where it proved that this approach reduced the ungated flights to the zero level and increased the system utility to 0.77 while it got the same total revenue value.

6.2 Further points for research:

The jetways system has been studied separately from the other airport's sub-systems e.g. check-in, the landing & take-off sub-system ( the Runway ), ....etc , these sub-systems are integrating, interacting together and hence affecting both the arrival & the departure times and so have direct effect on the studied jetways system.