Apron layout planning–Optimal positioning of aircraft stands

At many airports, space on the apron is scarce and has to be used efficiently. To that end, we optimize the layout of aircraft parking positions adjacent to the airport terminal, pursuing two lexicographically ordered objectives. First, we minimize the number of aircraft that have to be diverted to remote parking positions, because positions adjacent to the terminal are not available. Second, we minimize the construction effort required for gate infrastructure. Aircraft collisions must be prevented at all times, and we consider various traffic situations, as traffic volume and fleet mix are not constant in time. We introduce the Airport Gate Layout Problem and formulate it as a mixed-integer model, which considers both greenfield and brownfield scenarios. To solve the problem efficiently, we introduce a decomposition framework that exploits the structure of the problem and employ various acceleration techniques. Our approach reduces computation times substantially, allowing us to solve instances that are intractable for CPLEX. Based on a case study for Munich Airport, we demonstrate how airports can gain valuable insights from solving the problem.