Case Study: Schiphol Group improves Lelystad Airport performance with Simio simulation

Schiphol Group uses Simio to analyze airport capacity as traffic nears 500,000 movements a year

Schiphol Group, the operator of Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, faced a challenge as the airport was approaching its government-imposed annual capacity limit of 500,000 air traffic movements. To relieve congestion, the group decided to divert non-hub traffic, primarily from low-cost carriers, to the regional Lelystad Airport, which required upgrading to handle commercial flights. Schiphol Group needed to analyze the future performance and identify potential operational problems of this new airport system.

Using Simio simulation software, the team implemented a divide-and-conquer approach, creating stochastic discrete-event models of key subsystems like airspace, runways, taxiways, and stands. By coupling these models, Simio allowed them to identify performance dependencies and the impact of variability. This solution enabled Schiphol Group to assess expected turnaround times, determine the optimal number of ground vehicles, and identify the best configurations to improve the system's overall performance.

Schiphol Group