Airline recovery optimization research: 30 years´ march of mathematical programming—A classification and literature review

In the real world, an airline schedule does not operate as planned. It is often disrupted by maintenance problems or severe weather conditions. In a typical day several flights may be delayed or cancelled, and aircraft and crews may miss the rest of their assigned flight. Airline coordinators have to find a minimal cost reassignment of aircraft and crews that satisfies all required safety rules, has little impact on passengers, and minimizes operational difficulties for the airline. So, there is more and more research in this area. This paper provides a thorough review of the current state-of-the-art within airline disruption management of resources, including aircraft, crew, passenger and integrated recovery.