AVIA 3201 Airline Crew Planning
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Questions and Answers

What does the number of crew required depend upon?

  • The weather conditions and airport traffic
  • The experience level of the pilots and crew size
  • How the aircraft is flown and how efficiently the crew are utilized (correct)
  • The age of the aircraft and its maintenance schedule

What is one of the factors that affects crew efficiency?

  • How many days the crew fly (correct)
  • How often maintenance occurs
  • Number of aircraft in the fleet
  • The flight routes the airline offers

When are crew rosters typically planned for domestic operations?

  • One week in advance
  • One day in advance
  • One year in advance
  • One month in advance (correct)

What is included in air crew planning?

<p>Crew pairings and patterns (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect does NOT directly relate to crew utilization?

<p>The type of aircraft used (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many flying days are available in a standard roster period of 30 days?

<p>20 Days Flying (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the maximum number of flying days per annum for a crew?

<p>215.25 Days (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the average block hours per day worked by the crew?

<p>4:15 Hours (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many crew members are typically assigned per aircraft for domestic operations based on annual block hours?

<p>5.70 Crew per A/C (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many total annual leave periods are accounted for in the roster?

<p>1.5 Periods (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the rounded down maximum number of flying days per annum for ad hoc absences?

<p>200 Days (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the total number of work periods calculated in the roster per annum?

<p>10.5 Work Periods (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In a 28-day roster, how many total flying days does the crew usually have?

<p>19 Days Flying (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal when pairing or pattern planning in airline resource management?

<p>Minimize premium (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How is the premium calculated for a 10:00 hour sector?

<p>(11:45 - 10:00) x 100 = 17.50% (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Increasing which of the following is likely to occur as hours of paxing are decreased?

<p>Hotel nights (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of driving down unnecessary credit hours through paxing?

<p>Longer patterns with more days away (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a driver for pairing and pattern planning?

<p>Maximize passenger satisfaction (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of driving down premium on daily density of airline operations?

<p>Daily density decreases and patterns get longer (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What financial impact does achieving a $98K cost saving per month yield annually?

<p>$1.176M per year (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What strategic focus is indicated in the effort to lower hotel costs and paxing?

<p>To drive down unnecessary credit hours (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the formula used to calculate the premium?

<p>(Total Credit Hours - Block Hours) x 100 / Block Hours (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following components is considered part of synthetic credit?

<p>Sign-On time (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If an airline has 100,000 block hours at a premium of 49%, how many total credit hours will they have?

<p>149,000 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does a higher premium affect the total credit hours credited to a crew?

<p>It increases the potential credit hours. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of switching from one crew to two crews for a pairing?

<p>It saves credit hours. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'block hours' refer to in aircraft utilisation?

<p>Total time from departure to arrival at the gate. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If a crew performs a total credit of 9:40 hours and has 5:20 block hours, what is the premium?

<p>81.25% (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What kind of hours does 'credit hours' include for crew members?

<p>Both flying hours and non-flying duty hours. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the principle of credit hours and block hours?

<p>A crew that spends 5 hours flying and 2 hours on ground transit. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How are flight crew and cabin crew recruitment planned?

<p>In alignment with current premium levels. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the total crew block hours for both the B737 and B767 fleets combined?

<p>150,000 hr/yr (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many crew are required to meet the total crew demand for the two fleets?

<p>261 crew (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage is the average crewing premium used to calculate total crew credited hours?

<p>56% (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many credit hours are calculated per crew per year based on the total crew credited hours?

<p>1,180 hours (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the flying time for the return trip from SYD to KUL and back?

<p>15:00 hrs (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the reserve crew requirement accounting for disruptions and sickness?

<p>20 crew (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents the minimum flying requirement for crew?

<p>198 crew (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the cabin crew complement for one A330 service flight?

<p>7 cabin crew (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Airline Crew Planning

The process of scheduling and assigning airplane crews to flights to match the aircraft schedule.

Crew Utilisation Efficiency

The effectiveness of using flight crews, measured by the number of work days and flying hours per day.

Aircraft Schedule

A plan for when and where aircraft will operate. The basis for crew planning.

Crew Pairings/Patterns

Specific arrangements of which crew personnel will work together on aircraft journeys.

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Crew Rosters

Schedule of assigned crew member duties on flights.

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Premium Sensitivity

How much the cost of operating a flight changes based on the length of the flight.

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Flown Block Average

The average amount of time an aircraft is actually flying during a day, calculated from takeoff to landing.

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Paxing Hours

Time spent by crew members travelling to or from a flight's origin or destination, usually due to schedule changes.

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Hotel Nights

The number of nights a crew member stays in a hotel during a work cycle.

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Pattern Length (Days Away)

The number of days a crew member spends away from their base while working on a flight pattern.

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Daily Pattern Density

The amount of flying time per day within a crew's schedule, essentially how 'busy' their work is.

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Lowering Premium

Strategies used to reduce flight operating costs, usually by minimizing non-flying time.

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Hotel vs Paxing

The trade-off between using overnight hotel stays vs. adding extra travel time to a crew's schedule to avoid them.

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Available roster periods per year

12 calendar month periods with 1.5 times annual leave periods (42 days), totaling 10.5 work periods.

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Roster period flying days

A 30 (31)-day or a 28-day roster period has 20 (21) flying days with 9 days off and 1 training day.

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Maximum flying days per year

Around 215.25 (maximum) flying days per year and 200 rounded down for ad hoc absences, calculated from 10.5 roster periods and around 20.5 flying days per period.

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Average block hours per day (CNS/SYD)

The average block hours per day for a crew on a route from CNS to SYD and back is around 6:05 hours, but the actual value can vary depending on the flight pattern (A or B).

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Max block hours per year

Given an average of 4:15 block hours per day and 200 flying days, the maximum approximate block hours per year are 850.00 hours.

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Crew per aircraft (domestic)

Based on an aircraft's annual block hours, the estimate for crews per aircraft (domestic) is roughly 5.70.

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Annual domestic aircraft block hours

The given estimate is for 701 hours of block hours per crew per aircraft annually.

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Flying days per roster period

Typically 20 (or 21) flying days per 30 (or 31) day roster period.

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Premium

A measurement of 'synthetic credit' earned by crew beyond actual block hours flown. This includes sign-on/off, paxing, transit, and minimum credit guarantees.

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Credit Hours

Total time a crew member is working, including flying and non-flying duties, such as sign-on/off, transit, and paxing.

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Block Hours

The time an aircraft is actually in the air, from takeoff to landing.

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Synthetic Credit

The extra time a crew member earns beyond block hours, including sign-on/off, paxing, and transit.

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What is the impact of premium on credit hours?

A higher premium means more credit hours are generated for the same block hours flown. This impacts crew planning and rostering.

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How does premium affect crew rosters?

Higher premium means fewer block hours are needed to complete a 123-hour roster, allowing for shorter pairings and potentially fewer days working.

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How does premium affect pairings?

Higher premium allows for shorter pairings with more synthetic credit, potentially reducing crew fatigue and improving efficiency by reducing the need for multiple crews.

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Pairing

A specific sequence of flights assigned to a crew, which typically involves multiple sectors.

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Impact of Premium on Crew Savings

Higher premium can lead to crew savings by allowing for shorter pairings and potentially reducing the need for extra crews.

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FTe

Full-time equivalent. A measure of the number of full-time employees needed to meet workload demands.

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Total Crew Block Hours

The total number of hours flown by all crew members across all aircraft types in a year.

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Crewing Premium

A percentage applied to the total crew block hours to account for extra time spent on duties like layovers, delays, or training.

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Crew Credit Hours

Total hours credited to each crew member, considering the crewing premium.

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Strategic Crew Establishment Planning

The process of determining the ideal number of crew members needed for a fleet based on flight schedules, operational requirements, and factors like vacations and training.

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Reserve Crew

Crew members set aside to cover disruptions like staff sickness or last-minute flight changes.

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Recurrent Training

Periodic training sessions for safety, security, and medical procedures that all crew members need.

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Ground Duties

Work done by crew members on the ground, such as training, maintenance, or support activities.

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Premium Calculation

The process of multiplying the total crew block hours by the crewing premium to determine the total crew credit hours.

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Study Notes

Airline Crew Planning

  • Course: AVIA 3201 Airline Resource Management
  • Topics: Aircrew Planning & Utilisation, Crew Utilisation, Pattern Planning, Crew Establishment Planning
  • Instructor: Dr. C. Richard Wu, UNSW Aviation
  • Memoriam: Ms. Deborah Cybula

Air Crew Planning Process

  • Aircraft (Routing) Schedule is the starting point
  • Followed by Crew Pairings/Patterns
  • Then Crew Rosters (Domestic: one month in advance)
  • Finally, Day of Operations

Air Crew Utilisation

  • Number of crew needed depends on:
    • How hard the aircraft is flown
    • How efficiently the crew are utilized
  • Efficiency factors:
    • Number of days the crew fly
    • Amount of flying per day

Available Roster Periods Per Annum

  • 12 Calendar Months
  • 365 Days
  • 1.5 x Annual Leave Periods (42 Days)
  • 10.5 x Work Periods

Available Flying Days Per Roster Period

  • 30 (or 31)-day Roster or 28-day Roster
  • 9 Days Off
  • 20 (or 21) Days Flying
  • 1 Training Day

Available Flying Days Per Annum

  • 10.5 Roster Periods x 20.5 Flying Days per Period = 215.25 (Maximum)
  • Rounded down to 200 (for ad hoc absences)

Average Block Hours Per Day

  • Varies by day
  • Example data provided showing Block Hours for specific days

Maximum Block Hours Per Annum

  • 200 Flying Days
  • Average Block per Day is 4:15
  • 850:00 Block Hours per Annum
  • Note annual flying hour limits

Crew Per Aircraft (Domestic)

  • Aircraft Annual Block Hours (Domestic): 4,000 hours
  • 701 hours per crew
  • Crew count per aircraft: 5.70
  • Note: avg aircraft utilization is ~11 hours per day; 11 x 365= 4015 hours/yr

The Impact of Premium

  • Premium formula: ((CreditHr-BlockHr) / BlockHr) x 100%
  • Higher premium = higher credit hours
  • Credit hours include flying and non-flying duty hours
  • Cabin crew are paid and rostered to credit hour limitations
  • Flight and cabin crew recruitment is planned according to current premium levels
  • Used for both short and long-term crew planning

What is Premium?

  • Premium describes synthetic credit above actual block hours flown by the aircraft
  • Synthetic credit includes non-block activities
    • Sign-On & Sign-Off time
    • Paxing (or positioning/deadheading)
    • Time spent in transit (aircraft turnaround)
    • Minimum Credit Guarantees (if applicable)

The Impact of Premium on Rosters

  • Data showing block hours and synthetic hours for different premium percentages. Impact on number of flying lines for different premium scenarios

Impact of Premium on Pairings

  • Premium formula
  • Data showing example pairings with detailed times for different sectors including block hours and synthetic credit
  • Example of savings with two crews vs one crew

Premium is Sensitive to Network

  • Data illustrating how different sector lengths impact premium

Drivers for Pairing/Pattern Planning

  • Minimise Premium
  • Maximise Flown Block Average
  • Minimise Paxing (positioning/deadheading)
  • Minimise Time Away From Base
  • Minimise Hotels
  • Minimise Equipment Change
  • Sync with Aircraft routing

Push to Lower Premium - Hotels & Paxing

  • Driving down premium by reducing unnecessary credit hours (e.g., paxing)
  • Increasing hotel nights is correlated with longer patterns/lower
  • Daily density is lowered due to longer patterns as a result of premium reductions

Hotel or Paxing?

  • Graphs illustrating flight patterns with potential hotel or paxing times for specific days

Long Term Crew Establishment Planning

  • Total aircraft block hours for two fleets (B737 & B767)
  • Number of cabin crew for B737 and B767
  • Total crew block hours calculations

Crew Establishment and Strategic Planning

  • Total Crew Block Hours (B737 & B767)
  • Average crewing premium for a given period (56%)
  • Total crew credited hours for the period
  • Number of personnel needed (198)

Min Flying Requirement, Reserves, Vacations etc

  • Minimum crew requirement
  • Reserves
  • Vacation
  • Recurrent Training
  • Ground Duties
  • Total demand for various crew types.

Classroom Exercise

  • Three A330 services per week: SYD/KUL return
  • Flight times: SYD->KUL (8:00 hours), KUL->SYD (7:00 hours)
  • Cabin crew complement: 1 CSM, and 7 FA
  • Sign-on time: 1:15 hr
  • Sign-off time: 0:30 hr
  • Calculate premium for the pattern/pairing

Answer to Classroom Exercise

  • Block hours calculation
  • Duty hours calculation
  • Premium calculation (23.33%)

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Airline Crew Planning - AVIA 3201 PDF

Description

Test your knowledge on aircrew planning and utilization with this quiz for AVIA 3201 Airline Resource Management. Covering crew pairings, pattern planning, and scheduling, this quiz assesses your understanding of the essential processes in airline operations. Dive into the intricacies of crew establishment and roster management to succeed.

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