Flight Operations

Flight planning, dispatch, and operational control center (OCC) systems. Integrated with OMS for real-time load control - actual passenger and baggage data flows directly to the pilot's EFB.

Scope

Flight Planning

Route planning and optimization
Fuel calculation
Alternate airport selection
Performance calculations
Cost index optimization

Dispatch Functions

Flight release authority
Weather briefing
NOTAM review
MEL/CDL management
ATC slot management

Operational Control

Real-time flight tracking
Schedule changes
Delay management
Diversion handling
Emergency response

Regulatory Compliance

ETOPS authorization
RVSM compliance
PBN requirements
Security protocols

Real-Time Load Control

Paperless Weight & Balance

Load data flows directly from the OMS to the pilot's Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), eliminating paper load sheets:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Real-Time Load Control                         │
│                                                                 │
│  ┌───────────┐                                                  │
│  │ Std.      │─────┐                                            │
│  │ Weights   │     │                                            │
│  └───────────┘     │                                            │
│                    │     ┌────────────┐                         │
│  ┌───────────┐     │     │            │     ┌────────────────┐  │
│  │ Actual    │     ├────►│    Σ       │────►│ Center of      │  │
│  │ Bag Weight│─────┤     │ Summation  │     │ Gravity (CoG)  │  │
│  │ (from OMS)│     │     │            │     │ & Trim         │  │
│  └───────────┘     │     └────────────┘     └───────┬────────┘  │
│                    │                                │           │
│  ┌───────────┐     │                                │           │
│  │ Cargo     │─────┘                                │           │
│  │ Manifest  │                                      ▼           │
│  └───────────┘                              ┌──────────────┐    │
│                                             │ Pilot's EFB  │    │
│                                             │ (iPad)       │    │
│                                             │              │    │
│                                             │ LOAD SHEET   │    │
│                                             │ COMPLETED    │    │
│                                             │              │    │
│                                             │ Flight:AS456 │    │
│                                             │ Trim: Pushed │    │
│                                             └──────────────┘    │
│                                                                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Data Flow: OMS to Cockpit

OMS (Orders)
    │
    ├── Passenger count (from confirmed orders)
    ├── Actual bag weights (from check-in)
    └── Special loads (wheelchairs, pets, etc.)
          │
          ▼
Load Control Service
    │
    ├── Standard passenger weights (AHM 560)
    ├── Cargo and mail weights
    └── Fuel load
          │
          ▼
Weight & Balance Calculation
    │
    ├── Zero Fuel Weight (ZFW)
    ├── Takeoff Weight (TOW)
    ├── Landing Weight (LDW)
    └── Center of Gravity (%MAC)
          │
          ▼
EFB (Pilot's iPad)
    │
    └── Trim settings pushed directly

Benefits of Real-Time Integration

Benefit	Description
Paperless	No printed load sheets
Accurate	Actual weights from OMS, not estimates
Fast	Supports 25-30 min turnaround
Real-time	Late changes reflected immediately
Auditable	Full digital trail

Safety via Summation

Real-time data ensures accurate trim calculations:

Actual passenger count from Order.Status == CHECKED_IN
Actual bag weights recorded at check-in
Late changes (offloads, add-ons) reflected immediately
Fuel burn adjusted for actual load

Research Topics

Architecture Considerations

OCC Dashboard

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              Flight Overview                   │
│  ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐        │
│  │Active│ │Delayed│ │ Gate │ │Alerts│        │
│  │  42  │ │   3   │ │  8   │ │  2   │        │
│  └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘ └──────┘        │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              Flight List                       │
│  Flight │ Route │ ETD  │ Status │ Actions     │
│  UA123  │ JFKLHR │ 0845 │ Boarding │ [View]   │
│  UA456  │ ORDSFO │ 0900 │ Delayed  │ [View]   │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Flight Data Model

Flight
├── FlightNumber, Date
├── Route
│   ├── Origin, Destination
│   ├── Alternates[]
│   └── Waypoints[]
├── Aircraft
│   ├── Registration
│   ├── Type
│   └── Configuration
├── Crew
│   ├── Captain, FirstOfficer
│   └── CabinCrew[]
├── Fuel
│   ├── MinRequired
│   ├── Planned
│   └── Actual
├── Times
│   ├── Scheduled (STD/STA)
│   ├── Estimated (ETD/ETA)
│   └── Actual (ATD/ATA)
├── Status
└── Delays[]

External Data Feeds

Source	Data	Frequency
Weather	METAR, TAF, SIGMET	30 min
NOTAM	Aerodrome, En-route	Real-time
ATC	Slot times, flow control	Real-time
Aircraft	Position, fuel, ETA	1-5 min

Integration Points

System	Direction	Data
OMS	Inbound	Passenger count, bag weights (real-time)
Schedule	Inbound	Flight schedule
Crew	Bidirectional	Crew assignments
Maintenance	Inbound	Aircraft status
DCS	Bidirectional	Check-in status, boarding count
ATC	Bidirectional	Slot management
Fuel	Outbound	Fuel orders
EFB	Outbound	Load sheet, trim data (push)

Vendor Landscape

Flight Planning Systems

Vendor	Product
Lido (Lufthansa Systems)	Flight planning suite
Jeppesen	FliteDeck, Ops
SITA	OptiClimb
Sabre	Flight planning

OCC Systems

Vendor	Product
IBS Software	iFlight
PROS	Flight operations
Custom	Integrated OCC

Regulatory Framework

Key Regulations

FAA Part 121 / EASA OPS
ICAO Annex 6
ETOPS requirements
Fuel policy compliance
Rest requirements impact