Purpose

The airline industry has been significantly hit by the occurrence of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, facing one of its worst crises in history. In this context, the present paper analyses one of the well-known boarding methods used in practice by the airlines before and during the coronavirus outbreak, namely back-to-front and suggests which variations of this method to use when three passenger boarding groups are considered and a jet bridge connects the airport terminal with the airplane.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the importance accorded by the airlines to operational performance, health risks, and passengers' comfort, the variations in three passenger groups back-to-front boarding are divided into three clusters using the grey clustering approach offered by the grey systems theory.

Findings

Having the clusters based on the selected metrics and considering the social distance among the passengers, airlines can better understand how the variations in back-to-front perform in the new conditions imposed by the novel coronavirus and choose the boarding approach that better fits its policy and goals.

Originality/value

The paper combines the advantages offered by grey clustering and agent-based modelling for offering to determine which are the best configurations that offer a reduced boarding time, while accounting for reduced passengers' health risk, measured through three indicators: aisle risk, seat risk and type-3 seat interferences and for an increased comfort for the passengers manifested through a continuous walking flow while boarding.

中文翻译：

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考虑 COVID-19 飞行限制的后前飞机登机方法变化的灰色聚类

目的

航空业受到新型冠状病毒 SARS-CoV-2 的严重打击，面临历史上最严重的危机之一。在此背景下，本文分析了冠状病毒爆发之前和期间航空公司在实践中使用的一种众所周知的登机方法，即从后到前，并建议在三个旅客登机组中使用这种方法的哪些变体考虑过，一座喷射桥连接机场航站楼和飞机。

设计/方法/方法

根据航空公司对运营绩效、健康风险和乘客舒适度的重视程度，利用灰色系统理论提供的灰色聚类方法，将三个从后到前登机的乘客群体的变化分为三个聚类。

发现

拥有基于选定指标的集群并考虑乘客之间的社交距离，航空公司可以更好地了解从后到前的变化在新型冠状病毒强加的新条件下的表现，并选择更适合其政策的登机方式和目标。

原创性/价值

本文结合了灰色聚类和基于代理的建模所提供的优势，以确定哪些是提供减少登机时间的最佳配置，同时考虑减少乘客的健康风险，通过三个指标衡量：过道风险、座位风险和3 类座椅干扰，并通过登机时的连续步行流来提高乘客的舒适度。