A metric for the real-time evaluation of the aircraft boarding progress

Addressing the fact that boarding is on the critical path of the aircraft 4D trajectory and not controlled by the operators, this paper provides a scientific approach for a real-time evaluation of the boarding progress using the capabilities of a future connected cabin (e.g. sensor environment). A calibrated microscopic approach is used to model the distinct passenger behavior, where the individual movement is defined as a one-dimensional, stochastic, and time/space discrete transition process. The simulation environment is capable of covering a broad range of behaviors, boarding strategies and operational constraints and allows the integration of infrastructural changes and future technologies. The paper provides a set of indicators for depicting the real-time status of the boarding progress as a fundamental basis for the prediction of the boarding time. In this context, the aircraft seats are used as a sensor network with the capability to detect the seat status: free or occupied. The seat status is the basis for the calculation of an aircraft-wide interference potential as the major indicator for the boarding time. In combination with an integrated airline/airport information management (e.g. sequence of boarding passengers), the boarding progress will be transformed from a black box to a transparent progress with the operator's real-time ability to react to significant deviations from the planned progress. Thus, the research results provide a fundamental contribution towards the derivation of the crucial aircraft departure time.