Development of an expert system in cabin crew pattern generation

Cabin crew pattern generation according to flight schedules requires the intensive use of human experts in a limited time. The patterns generated aim to incur minimum cost of crew expenditure to the company. The automation of such a planning activity can reduce the pressure on a planner due to the frequently changing flight schedules. This paper describes the role of knowledge in the cabin crew pattern generation process from the viewpoint of acquisition, representation and utilization. A hybrid knowledge representation strategy has been adopted in modeling the system. The expert system embraces the important area of domain knowledge in Duty Travel. The application of the Duty Travel technique can help to reduce the living and accommodation expenses of cabin crew staying away from base by shortening the whole pattern duration significantly. An iterative verification and validation process has been conducted to ensure the system correctness.