CA SE STUD Y

CASE STUDY
Altitude Pairing & Altitude PBS
Air Transat Relies on AD OPT for Optimized
Pairing and Preferential Bidding Solutions
Airlines with complex operations can no
longer rely on software solutions that simply
automate planning processes. While the
number of aircraft is a factor, complexity
can also be measured by how many
aircraft and routes the airline operates,
the rules and regulations they must abide
by, and specialized factors such as language
requirements. With so many factors to
consider – including crew satisfaction –
airlines rely on optimized planning software
solutions to manage their operations.
Air Transat, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tour Operator Transat, one of the largest tour
operators, was faced with a similar challenge in 1996 when its operations started to
become more complex and difficult to manage manually. Founded in Montreal, Canada,
the airline began operations in 1987 with one aircraft and a flight crew of 30 people.
Today, Air Transat operates out of three major bases in Canada (Montreal, Toronto and
Vancouver) with a mix of scheduled flights and charter services. The fleet is composed
of 18 aircraft – Airbus 330 and Airbus 310 – and a crew of 1,500 serving 60 destinations
in 25 countries including Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, USA and South America.
The airline is also the designated ‘flag carrier’ between Canada and Cuba.
Since its inception, Air Transat has been in a state of constant transformation with route
diversifications and the continuous expansion of its flight schedules. As a result, the planning
process evolved into a time-consuming and error-prone task. For instance, the implications
of international route diversification included
additional qualifications for crewmembers
such as language skills for flight attendants and
Managing the
ETOPS license requirements for pilots.
With the increasing number of international
destinations, and with pilots now based in
Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, specific
pairings for pilots flying from these bases
was necessary. “With a pairing process that
involved the destination, the aircraft size, crew
availability and language knowledge, managing
crew composition
was becoming
increasingly more
complex and
cumbersome...
AD OPT, a Kronos Division, 3535 Queen Mary Rd, Suite 650 Montreal (Quebec) H3V 1H8 Canada
Tel.: (514) 345-0580 | Fax: (514) 345-0422 | Email: ad-opt@kronos.com | www.ad-opt.com
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the crew composition was becoming increasingly more complex and cumbersome,” said
Suzanne Lapointe, Manager, Crew planning and scheduling, Air Transat. “The man hours
and effort required to regularly produce these specific pairings was an enormous and
challenging task – and that was only part of the difficulties we faced.” At around this
time, the Canadian government introduced the CARS regulations, a flight time limitation
scheme for regulating flights, duty and rest time, while internally, collective agreements
were being formalized whereby pilot and flight attendant groups now each had their own
particular rules. These developments added an increased amount of complexity to the
planning department’s already challenging workload.
Clearly, An Optimal Solution is Required
AD OPT not only
provided us with
the ideal solutions
approach, they
complemented their
unique optimization
expertise with a
personal, hands-on
approach...
The year 1996 was a major milestone in Air Transat’s history. The airline was managing
five different aircraft types, coping with frequent rule changes, new regulations and
frequent flight schedule changes. As a charter airline, frequent schedule changes are parfor-the-course. With each change, crew composition, language requirements and other
rules need to be adjusted and the planning team had to quickly adapt to these changes.
Due to the lengthy manual processes involved, planners also did not have time to try
different scenarios or make late changes to the schedule. All of this motivated Air Transat
to look for an advanced planning optimization solution that would enable it to cope with
these challenges and help better manage its crew. “It was clear that we required a more
sophisticated solution to help us manage all the changes and complexities that we were
faced with,” said Ms. Lapointe.
Following extensive research, Air Transat turned to Montreal-based AD OPT Technologies
(today Kronos’ AD OPT Division) – a crew planning solutions provider that developed
customized advanced pairing and preferential bidding software solutions. In fact,
AD OPT pioneered the conceptual development of the preferential bidding solution, with
Air Transat acting as one of the company’s first airline customers. “AD OPT was a perfect
fit for Air Transat,” explained Ms. Lapointe. “At the time, AD OPT was one of a select
few companies with the unique operations research knowledge focused exclusively on
providing planning solutions for the airline industry. AD OPT not only provided us with
the ideal solutions approach, they complemented their unique optimization expertise
with a personal, hands-on approach that has remained a key part of our relationship
throughout our partnership.”
The successful implementation of Altitude Pairing for Air Transat’s pilot and flight attendant
groups was followed one year later by a second customized implementation of Altitude PBS.
A Complete Approach to the Entire Pairing Process
Today, Air Transat planners rely on AD OPT’s Altitude Pairing solution to build complete,
cost-effective and operable crew pairings that take into consideration all costs (per
diem, hotel, deadheads, etc.) while respecting collective agreements and government
regulations. Used extensively in daily tasks, planners are able to accommodate frequent
flight changes by applying a new schedule to the existing pairings for a quick impact
analysis. Based on the outcome, planners can make an informed decision on whether
they will need to re-run the optimizer to find another pairing. With the ability to quickly
AD OPT, a Kronos Division, 3535 Queen Mary Rd, Suite 650 Montreal (Quebec) H3V 1H8 Canada
Tel.: (514) 345-0580 | Fax: (514) 345-0422 | Email: ad-opt@kronos.com | www.ad-opt.com
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repair and re-optimize the solution according to the new schedule, planners can easily
adapt the changes without disrupting the continuity of operations.
Altitude Pairing is also used to manage Air Transat’s long-term planning, as well as during
collective agreement negotiations to verify demands made by pilot and flight attendant
union groups. The solution automates the process of determining the crew complement
for long-hauls, and provides the airline with tools to better manage language qualifications,
ensuring that their language resources are efficiently used. For instance, a cabin crew
“team” will remain together throughout a complete pairing. If variable cabin crew
complements are required, Altitude Pairing will define the preferred team compositions.
Optimization was one of the key reasons why
Air Transat selected AD OPT. Moving from a strictly
automated solution, to an automated and optimized
pairing solution provided planners with the ability
to perform endless “what-if” analysis that analyzed
the cost impact of changes. By changing certain
parameters, the planners can estimate the cost of
opening new markets as well as the impact of new rules
or regulations, opening a new base, introducing a new
fleet, etc. “The ability to see the impact of our changes
before implementing them in a live situation, provided
our airline with extraordinary opportunities,” said
Ms. Lapointe. “Our planners can provide marketing
and senior management with clear and extensive cost
implications of the requested changes. We can now
make informed and accurate decisions, minimizing
risk and maximizing opportunities.”
In the more than a decade since the original implementation of Altitude Pairing, Air Transat
has benefited from increased flexibility that is vital to the company’s operating model.
The speed with which Altitude Pairing provides an optimal solution also enables their
planners to make last minute modifications and quickly adjust to changes. By automating
the ‘at times’ difficult task of crew split and optimally allocating language qualified crew,
Altitude Pairing has improved the way planners manage the pairing process.
Air Transat Benefits From Advanced Forecasting Capabilities
In 1997, and based on the success of Altitude Pairing, the airline once again turned to
AD OPT to provide a comprehensive scheduling solution to create personalized cockpit
and cabin monthly schedules that take crewmember preferences, collective agreements,
and pre-assigned ground tasks into account.
“Prior to the Altitude PBS implementation, we operated under a bidline approach for
both the flight attendant and pilot groups,” explained Ms. Lapointe. “Each group had
their own separate planning departments, operating under separate rules and conditions.
With very limited functionality, the bidline system created anonymous lines that were
manually distributed to each crewmember. With no input on preferred routes, the
AD OPT, a Kronos Division, 3535 Queen Mary Rd, Suite 650 Montreal (Quebec) H3V 1H8 Canada
Tel.: (514) 345-0580 | Fax: (514) 345-0422 | Email: ad-opt@kronos.com | www.ad-opt.com
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crew’s involvement was minimal, and mostly limited to leave requests. For example,
“personalized” schedules were manually created for each pilot in the case of a leave
request, and these were awarded on a seniority basis. We operated under a loosely
“manually adjusted approach” that was heavily influenced by the pilots. With Altitude
PBS, all this was eliminated, providing for a fairer across the board approach to developing
schedules.”
Empowered by
Altitude PBS’
advanced forecasting
capabilities, Air
Transat planners
can quickly assess
different scenarios,
while taking into
account all preassignments.
Renowned within the industry as pioneers in the conceptual development of the
preferential bidding approach, AD OPT delivered a customized Altitude PBS solution
following an extensive analysis of Air Transat’s unique requirements. Utilizing a priority
weighting method, Altitude PBS enables crewmembers to express highly detailed
schedule preferences by assigning weights/distributing points across different bid options.
The solution takes into account crewmember seniority while optimizing the crewmember’s
overall satisfaction. With no open-time allowed, Altitude PBS strikes a balance between
organizational objectives, the respect of rules and regulations, and crew satisfaction.
Utilizing the optimized pairings generated from Altitude Pairing, Air Transat planners
are able to construct personalized crewmember monthly schedules that eliminate the
guesswork out of the planning process. Empowered by Altitude PBS’ advanced forecasting
capabilities, Air Transat planners can quickly assess different scenarios, while taking into
account all pre-assignments. The solution validates the feasibility of the situation with
the given parameters. Planners are able to perform test dry runs, prior to the actual
production, with default bids from the crew in order to assess if the crew is able to cover
the required flying. This run is used to define the credit window and will suggest the
number of required reserves.
Accuracy and Simplicity Guide Air Transat Planning Operations
Altitude PBS has automated Air Transat’s requirements validation process, making it much
simpler to verify crew qualifications, legs, departure and arrival times, overlapping activities,
times at the base, etc. For instance, in respect to the “green on green” rule, Altitude PBS
automatically creates a solution that ensures no “green” captains will fly with “green” first
officers.
Altitude PBS has also been customized to address the accuracy of Air Transat’s reserve
planning. The solution enables the airline to compute the accurate number of AM reserves
and PM reserves required in accordance with the number of departures at all bases.
The information is then automatically entered in the reserve calendar requirement.
As reserve blocks have a certain number of guaranteed days off, AD OPT has developed
functionality enabling the planner to request a maximum percentage of guaranteed days off
for each day of the month. Planners are thus able to ensure that an appropriate amount of
crewmembers are available during critical time periods such as major holidays.
Since language qualifications were previously managed manually through a bidline process,
at times, planners were left with numerous pairings without language qualified flight
attendants as it was impossible to fit all pairings into a language qualified block. Today,
Altitude Pairing defines the need for specific language requirements based on destinations
and the crew composition, and Altitude PBS then matches trips that have been flagged for
the language requirement.
AD OPT, a Kronos Division, 3535 Queen Mary Rd, Suite 650 Montreal (Quebec) H3V 1H8 Canada
Tel.: (514) 345-0580 | Fax: (514) 345-0422 | Email: ad-opt@kronos.com | www.ad-opt.com
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“During our yearly pilot “route checks”, where a supervisor is required to be matched with
a designated pilot, Altitude PBS automatically matches the different types of supervisors
and the route checks,” said Ms. Lapointe. “This has reduced the number of planner
hours required for this task by over 50%. This is another important saving realized by the
AD OPT solution.”
As we have grown in
size and complexity,
AD OPT has been
there to support our
growth and provide
innovative solutions
to our challenges.
A Relationship That Stands the Test of Time
In today’s fast-paced technology driven marketplace, it is a rare occurrence to encounter
a vendor/customer relationship that spans more than a decade. In part this is attributed
to AD OPT’s commitment to ensuring that all airline customers – regardless of size or
the number of solutions – receive personalized support. In fact, the company defines
its success by the operational accomplishments of its customers, taking pride in their
success.
“We view the team at AD OPT as an extension of our planning department,” said
Ms. Lapointe. “As we have grown in size and complexity, AD OPT has been there
to support our growth and provide innovative solutions to our challenges. We have
known most of their staff from the early days of the initial implementation and have
developed a great partner relationship where they understand and anticipate our needs.
Their personal approach to building relationships is something that sets them apart from
other vendors.”
In Summary
In business for more than 22 years, Air Transat has risen above the most turbulent years
in the aviation industry by efficiently running its operations. A forward-thinker, the airline
has been in a long-standing relationship based on mutual
trust and cooperation with Kronos’ AD OPT Division for
over 12 years. By delivering customized, automated and
optimized solutions that were in line with Air Transat’s
evolving needs, AD OPT has enabled the airline to
operate with more flexibility and agility in addressing the
challenges presented by its complex operations.
AD OPT’s Altitude Pairing is enabling Air Transat to
develop cost-effective, crew-friendly schedules for
long-term planning, that is often used during collective
agreement negotiations. Altitudes PBS is enabling the
airline to develop personalized crew schedules in a more efficient and effective manner.
Combined, the two solutions provide Air Transat with an automated and optimized planning
process, and AD OPT continues to make improvements to these solutions in order to
accommodate new challenges and complexities that may be sparked by Air Transat’s
continued growth.
AD OPT, a Kronos Division, 3535 Queen Mary Rd, Suite 650 Montreal (Quebec) H3V 1H8 Canada
Tel.: (514) 345-0580 | Fax: (514) 345-0422 | Email: ad-opt@kronos.com | www.ad-opt.com
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About Air Transat
Air Transat is Canada’s leading holiday travel airline. It carries some 3 million passengers
annually to nearly 60 destinations in 25 countries. Air Transat has a fleet of 18 Airbus
A330s and A310s. The company employs approximately 2,000 people. Air Transat is a
subsidiary of Transat A.T. Inc., an integrated international tour operator with more than
60 destination countries and that distributes products in over 50 countries.
About AD OPT
AD OPT is a division of Kronos.
AD OPT a comprehensive crew planning solutions provider, delivers powerful insight
for result-driven airlines. With AD OPT, airlines can link their crew planning activities to
strategic objectives in order to determine what is impacting productivity, profitability, and
crew satisfaction – then take decisive action to achieve operational excellence. For more
information on AD OPT, please visit www.ad-opt.com.
Proprietary and Confidential Information: This document contains confidential, proprietary
and trade secret information belonging to Kronos Canadian Systems Inc. and its parent
company, Kronos Incorporated, and is intended only for the person(s) or entity and for
the purpose for which it is provided. Any reproduction of this document in whole or
in part, or the divulgence of any of the information contained herein, without the prior
written consent of Kronos is prohibited. Kronos Canadian Systems Inc. and its parent
company, Kronos Incorporated, reserve any and all rights in the information contained in
this document.
© 2009 Kronos Incorporated. Kronos and the Kronos logo, Altitude, Altitude Pairing, Altitude PBS, Altitude Rostering, Altitude Insight,
Altitude DReAM, Altitude BLUE and Altitude MPP are trademarks of Kronos Incorporated or a related Company. For a full list of Kronos
trademarks please visit the “Trademarks” page at www.kronos.com. All other product and company names mentioned are used for identification
purposes only, and may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
AD OPT, a Kronos Division, 3535 Queen Mary Rd, Suite 650 Montreal (Quebec) H3V 1H8 Canada
Tel.: (514) 345-0580 | Fax: (514) 345-0422 | Email: ad-opt@kronos.com | www.ad-opt.com
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