Crew Planning Management in Aviation Industry: A Turkish Airline Case

Abstract

Use of air transport is increasing steadily, due to the fact that today’s boundaries have been lifted and customer needs are being met instantaneously, which allows growth in the aviation industry. In this study, the activities of crew planning were examined and it was aimed to emphasize the importance of human constraints as well as the mathematical constraints considered in crew planning management. In line with this, focus group interviews were conducted with senior managers and crew planning personnel who are working in an airline company operating in Turkey. When crew pairing and rostering activites are carried out, the factors taken into account and applied are the findings obtained as a result of the study. Academic literature conformity of crew planning applications is also taken into consideration. Finally, five basic dimensions for crew planning activities have been set out from these findings; compliance with rules and personnel wellness level, not using human resourses harshly, ensuring employee satisfaction, reducing unit crew costs and keeping service level high.