Design Optimization and Staging Assignment for Long-Range Aircraft Operations

The design and operation of long-range aircraft are driven by increasing passenger demand, higher fuel prices and environmental concerns. A possible solution to mitigate these concerns is to design long-range transport aircraft for shorter ranges and operate them using intermediate stops or stages. Staging could result in substantial fuel burn savings and decrease in direct operational cost. However, such benefits might be counterbalanced by longer trip duration and increased number of flight cycles. A tighter integration between the design of the aircraft and its operation assignment in long range operations can identify better configurations that overcome some of the penalties incurred in staging. This paper explores the benefits and impacts that a coupled optimization approach to aircraft design and staging allocation brings in terms of fuel efficiency, cost effectiveness, and emissions. Results show optimum configurations that take advantage of intermediate stops to reduce fuel and operating cost with moderate increases in flight time.