¿Qué hacer si la rentabilidad de su aerolínea se ve afectada por una planificación y optimización de rutas obsoletas?

Profitability is the result of revenues exceeding expenses. If flight revenues are not meeting costs, identify with historic data if this is seasonal or perennial, and use seasonality to forecast revenues. A route needs to be profitable on an annual basis. Use data to study the trend of costs. If costs are trending up faster than revenues, cost control measures including capacity up-gauge or down-gauge is necessary. Data can allow for price elasticity estimates which can support the up-gauge or down-gauge decision.

It is very difficult for an airline not to keep its planning updated. Route forecast data, date and time are programmed in advance and the profitability of each flight is calculated by an estimate of cost per seat kilometer (CASK) vs. the revenue from the same route. Costs can vary quickly, especially fuel, and revenue is calculated by algorithms that calculate demand for a specific flight, what time of year, and how long in advance of purchase, etc. The most difficult point in planning to maintain profitability is anticipating low occupancy on future routes.

Data driven decisions are very important in schedule planning. These decisions could include schedule optimization, fleet optimization, etc. Identification and downgradation and removal of loss making routes is necessary so that the capacity can be used in other profitable routes where demand is high. This can be performed by increasing flight frequency or aircraft up-gauging in the particular markets. Determine which routes have more demand and increase capacity accordingly. Profitability can be increased with proper pricing techniques and putting the right capacity in the right market, all of which involves analysis of historical data and identifying patterns to make sound decisions.

While recent technological advancements have enhanced crew planning and rostering optimization, manual adjustments and pairing remain prevalent. Many systems still rely on outdated technologies or complex implementation of rules heavily using code and parameters, hindering agility and efficiency. To address these challenges, airlines should prioritize implementing tools with automation, leveraging advanced predictive AI/ML algorithms and decision intelligence solutions. These solutions should offer easy managing of rules, testing and simulation capabilities, enabling airlines to anticipate and mitigate adverse effects on roster changes.

All that cited above is for the top-line (revenue). Upgrading tech could also be achieved by upgrading to the latest generation of aircraft to realise further net cost savings, which can help boost profitability in a given revenue environment.

Route planning is dependant on aircraft type and model. This is either at design or as modified due to an STC. Thus the aircraft will then fall within an optimum operations envelop that will translate to efficiency as picked in the basket of performance specifications.

The communication channel with teams needs to be agile and transparent so that there is no doubt about the tasks to be performed. Training, training, training... very important item to keep information and processes flowing

If the airline has an aging fleet, costs associated with that can be quite high. Therefore it becomes necessary to upgrade the fleet. The airline can look to lease new aircraft on lease as per it's needs as direct ownership of aircraft can incur high costs and is also very time consuming. Furthermore, allocating the right aircraft in the right market is necessary. If a route has high demand then the airline should look to allocate a high capacity aircraft on the route of there are no as such airport capacity restrictions. Another way is increasing frequency to cater to the demand. Fleet optimization plays an important part in overall revenue generation of an airline.

There is no excuse for "outdated route planning and optimization". Routes and schedules may be locked in for a season or part thereof, but maintaining a productive and profitable network requires keeping a regular eye on performance of each route. Most standard reporting tools will deliver the basic revenue, cost and operational KPIs to be tracked. In the near term, make tactical interventions to optimize for profitability such as adapting revenue/inventory management or changing aircraft gauges. Over a longer term, consistently subpar profitability should trigger a rethink of the network, schedule/bank adjustments, sales channel optimization and potential fleet renewal.

Alongside data analysis and fleet optimization, monitoring results is an important part to review your strategies and improve accordingly. Airlines set various KPIs to monitor their performance and share them with the higher management to make strategies accordingly. It is also important to review the performance factors for further improvisation in monitoring the performance of an airline.

The impact of outdated route planning and optimization on an airline's profitability cannot be underestimated. It is essential to acknowledge that this is an internal variable that can be effectively managed by investing in human resources, training programs, and cutting-edge tools. Effective network planning and scheduling play a pivotal role in the success of any airline, as it has the potential to significantly impact profitability. It is crucial not to underestimate the immense influence it holds.