Run for your Flight — Introduction
Airline Schedule Coordinator
Airline schedule coordinators are responsible for scheduling flight crews for airlines based on available staff, union guidelines, company policy and Federal Aviation Association (FAA) policies and guidelines. Individuals with strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills can learn how to become a flight crew scheduler.
In this project, you will use your knowledge of probability to determine when you should arrange for a standby pilot.
Your Mission
If you spend much time in airports, you’re likely to see flight crew members and pilots scurrying to their next scheduled flight. Most seasoned travelers are familiar with the announcement, “We apologize for the delay. We will board flight 1260 as soon as the flight crew arrives.” Airline schedule coordinators work very hard to prevent this scenario.
Schedule coordinators create schedules for airplane crews. As part of their work, they track the likelihood that each flight will arrive and depart on time. They try to schedule the pilots and flight crew members so that everyone arrives in time for the next scheduled flight.
The schedule coordinator also uses probability to decide when to have a standby pilot waiting at the airport to take over a flight for a delayed pilot. If a pilot has less than a 75% chance of arriving in time for the next flight, a standby pilot must be ready to fly. A standby pilot is also called when the cumulative probability of arriving in time drops below 65%.
For this project, you will track the probability that each pilot will make it to his or her next destination in time to pilot the next flight. If you do the job well, air travelers will be grateful and on time.
