Event: CNA Operational Analysis Seminar – Nov 16

The air transportation system is a large, complex, global system that transports over 2.1 billion passengers each year. Air traffic delays have become a huge problem for passengers and airlines; they even make the headlines in the popular press and lead to new legislation. Aircraft are also the fastest growing contributor to man-made greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Senate, domestic air traffic delays in 2007 cost airlines over $19 billion and the U.S. economy over $41 billion, wasted 740 million gallons of jet fuel, and released an additional 7.1 billion kilograms of CO2 into the atmosphere.

My research is in the design, analysis, implementation, and evaluation of practical algorithms for air transportation systems that will help air traffic controllers and system operators make better decisions in the face of increasing traffic. This research is important because of the high costs of delays and pollution today, as well as the projected 2x increase in air traffic over the next 15 years….My research style is to develop new algorithms that are grounded in real-world operational data, implement them, and test them in both simulation and in field trials to gain a fundamental understanding of which techniques work well and why.