These transfers at airport-hubs between trucks, building sortation facilities and aircraft are done using material handling equipment called “dollies” or carts.
This is the movement of packages between aircraft after they are flown in to an airport-hub and being taken into a facility to conduct a sort, or after being sorted as they are transferred back on to aircraft. This study measured and analyzed the vibration characteristics of an important component of the air package shipping environment which has not been previously studied or included in the pre-shipment testing of packages. The case study is focused on a particular location, the Case of Zaragoza Airport (Spain).Findings: This paper demonstrates that efficiency of the air cargo supply chain can increase by leveraging several parameters such as bottlenecks, resources or warehouses.Originality/value: It explores the use of a simulation modeling software originally intended for manufacturing processes and extended to support decision making processes in the area of air cargo. The input for the simulation is obtained from a qualitative analysis of the air cargo supply chain with the involved agents and from a study of the external trade by air mode, given that their behaviour depend on the location.
It pursues to improve the efficiency of the air cargo supply chain and to provide more information to the decision-makers to optimize their fields.Design/methodology/approach: The method used is a process simulation modelling software, WITNESS, which provides information to the decision-makers about the most relevant parameters subject to optimization. Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate and optimize the various operations within the air cargo chain.