Link-Based Approach for Generalized Hub-and-Spoke Network Design Problem

In a hub-and-spoke (H/S) line-haul operations network, centers (airports) are points of pickup and delivery (departure and arrival, respectively) while hubs are points of consolidation (transit). In practice, there are three basic H/S networks: pure; stopovers with feeders; and center directs. The pure network reduces the number of partial center-to-center loads (flights). The stopover network reduces the need for additional partial center- and hub-to-hub loads while center directs allow center-to-center direct feeds which eliminates rehandling at hubs and liberates carrying capacity. Various operational designs and implementations reduce the respective fleet size, or transportation or handling operating costs, resulting in a cost-effective operation. This paper proposed a generalized H/S network in a representation of a capacitated and directed network configuration that integrates all three types. The network design problem determines the smallest fleet size with their routes and freight paths so that the overall operating cost is minimized. We developed a link-based implicit enumeration algorithm with embedded integral constrained multiple commodity min-cost flow subproblem. The paper selected a small subset of FedEx and AsiaOne air network for numerical testing and the result showed that the proposed generalized H/S network is capable of properly integrating the operational flexibility of various H/S networks. In addition, the route plan may not necessary to be symmetric.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: CD-ROM
  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 24p
  • Monograph Title: TRB 85th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01024816
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 06-0820
  • Files: TRIS, TRB
  • Created Date: May 31 2006 7:54AM