Posted by Courtney E. Howard 

RADNOR, Pa., 24 Oct. 2011. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) managers needed a new pilot training and simulation system to replace legacy equipment that is no longer compliant with the KLM information technology (IT) standards. They found their solution--advanced pilot transition, vacation, and simulator planning system--at Quintiq in Radnor, Pa.

More than 2100 KLM commercial pilots operate Boeing 777, 747, and 737, McDonnell-Douglas MD-11, and Airbus 330 aircraft. An additional 600 pilots operate the KLM Cityhopper aircraft, including the Fokker 70 and 100 and the Embraer 190.

To plan 700 pilot transitions, 8,000 holiday awards, and 11,000 simulator slots per year, KLM uses a mix of legacy systems, spreadsheets, and manual intervention. Increasing complexities and the growing number of pilots drove the need for a more flexible, powerful planning application to replace legacy systems. Quintiq was chosen for its ability to incorporate collective labor agreement rules and apply all KLM-specific constraints.

The Quintiq system will enable KLM to optimize the planning for pilot transition, vacation, and simulator planning, while respecting all rules and constraints. It will also integrate the simulator capacity planning with the manpower planning system and enable multiple users to work on the same plan at the same time, improving efficiency.