Evaluating the cost of ASM/ATFM measures

The problem of finding departure slots for all flights so that en-route sectors capacities and declared airports capacities are respected, minimising the total ground delay generated, is discussed. The slot allocation method used to solve the problem is based on constraint programming. In order to control the distribution of the ground delays, individual maximal ground delays to the flights are imposed. Three slot allocation strategies have been considered: "first planned to take off, first served";"first in the most saturated constraint, first served"; and "cheapest flight to be pushed outside, first delayed".