Why compatibility alone is not enough
A compatibility model usually answers one question: can this aircraft perform this activity? Planners often need more detail. Some valid assignments are preferred, while others should be used only when the wider schedule requires them.
These preferences may come from fleet strategy, station practices, or other airline rules. Without them, the optimizer may produce a technically valid schedule that does not fit planning priorities.
Preferred, non-preferred, and forbidden matches
Preferred
A preferred match tells OptCo to use a combination when the rest of the schedule allows it.
Non-preferred
A non-preferred match is still allowed, but carries an extra cost. This keeps it available as a fallback.
Forbidden
A forbidden match is excluded from the schedule because an airline rule or operating limit does not allow it.
The rules matrix works alongside core constraints such as turnaround time, continuity, compatibility, availability, and maintenance.
Give planners direct control over policy
The configurable matrix turns planners’ operating knowledge into clear assignment rules. They can control specific activity-resource combinations without requiring custom scheduling code for every preference.
This also makes changes easy to test. A planner can adjust a rule, generate a new scenario, and compare it with the previous one.
Make the impact visible
A rule is more useful when planners can see its effect. OptCo reports costs by leg, by aircraft, and for the full scenario, showing where non-preferred assignments appear and how much they affect the result.
By comparing scenarios, teams can see how each rule changes aircraft utilization, rotations, and the total schedule cost.
Where assignment rules help
- Marking a fleet match as preferred instead of simply valid.
- Discouraging an aircraft-activity match while keeping it as a fallback.
- Preventing combinations that airline policy does not allow.
- Comparing how different rule settings change the schedule.
The exact rules are different for every airline. The matrix provides a clear way to include them in the scheduling search.