The Open Group Preliminary Standard

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture

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The Open Group Preliminary Standard

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture
Document Number: P180

Published by The Open Group, July 2018.

Comments relating to the material contained in this document may be submitted to:
The Open Group, Apex Plaza, Forbury Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 1AX, United Kingdom
or by electronic mail to:
ogspecs@[Link]

ii The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Objective ......................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Overview......................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Conformance................................................................................................... 1
1.4 Normative References..................................................................................... 1
1.5 Terminology ................................................................................................... 2
1.6 Future Directions ............................................................................................ 2

2 Definitions................................................................................................................. 3

3 The Metamodel ......................................................................................................... 4

3.1 Business Architecture ..................................................................................... 4
3.2 Application Architecture................................................................................. 4
3.3 Data Architecture ............................................................................................ 5
3.4 Technology Architecture ................................................................................ 5
3.5 Business Domain Model (Top-Level) ............................................................ 5
3.5.1 Business Capability Map of Business Domain 4 ............................ 6
3.5.2 Map of Subdomain 4.2 Capabilities to Applications....................... 6
3.6 Technology Model .......................................................................................... 7
3.7 Business Process Model.................................................................................. 7
3.8 Entity Relationship Diagram .......................................................................... 7

4 Commercial Aviation Business Domains ................................................................. 8

5 Commercial Aviation Data Architecture .................................................................. 9

6 Business Domains and Subdomains........................................................................ 12

6.1 Product .......................................................................................................... 12
6.1.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 12
6.1.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 12
6.1.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 15
6.1.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 15
6.1.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 16
6.2 Sales .............................................................................................................. 16
6.2.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 16
6.2.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 17
6.2.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 21
6.2.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 22
6.2.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 22
6.3 Network & Fleet Planning ............................................................................ 23
6.3.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 23
6.3.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 24
6.3.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 27

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture iii

 6.3.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 27
6.3.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 28
6.4 Ground Operations (Ops).............................................................................. 28
6.4.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 28
6.4.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 30
6.4.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 34
6.4.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 34
6.4.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 35
6.5 Revenue Management & Pricing .................................................................. 36
6.5.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 36
6.5.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 37
6.5.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 40
6.5.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 41
6.5.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 42
6.6 Flight Operations (Ops) ................................................................................ 43
6.6.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 43
6.6.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 47
6.6.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 51
6.6.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 51
6.6.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 52
6.7 Marketing & Customer Care......................................................................... 53
6.7.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 53
6.7.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 55
6.7.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 58
6.7.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 59
6.7.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 60
6.8 Cargo............................................................................................................. 60
6.8.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 61
6.8.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 62
6.8.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 63
6.8.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 64
6.8.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 65
6.9 Maintenance .................................................................................................. 65
6.9.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 65
6.9.2 Business Architecture .................................................................... 66
6.9.3 Data Architecture .......................................................................... 68
6.9.4 Application Architecture ............................................................... 68
6.9.5 Technology Architecture ............................................................... 69
6.10 Support .......................................................................................................... 69
6.10.1 Subdomains ................................................................................... 69

7 Overall Structure ..................................................................................................... 73

A Flight Operations Processes, Activities, and Objects .............................................. 75

A.1 Flight Planning, Crew Management, and Operations Control
Processes ....................................................................................................... 75
A.2 Flight Crew Activities During a Flight ......................................................... 78

iv The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 List of Figures
Figure 1: Overview of Business Domains ...................................................................................... 8
Figure 2: Overview of Data Architecture Core Model Entities...................................................... 9
Figure 3: Business Capability Map of the Product Domain ......................................................... 12
Figure 4: Product Domain Business Process ................................................................................ 14
Figure 5: Data Model of the Product Domain .............................................................................. 15
Figure 6: Mapping Capabilities to Applications .......................................................................... 15
Figure 7: Technology and Platforms within the Product Domain ................................................ 16
Figure 8: Business Capability Map of the Sales Domain ............................................................. 18
Figure 9: Sales Domain Business Process .................................................................................... 20
Figure 10: Data Model of the Sales Domain ................................................................................ 21
Figure 11: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 22
Figure 12: Technology and Platforms within the Sales Domain .................................................. 22
Figure 13: Business Capability Map of the Network & Fleet Planning Domain ......................... 24
Figure 14: Network & Fleet Planning Domain Business Process ................................................ 26
Figure 15 Data Model of the Network & Fleet Planning Domain ............................................... 27
Figure 16: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 27
Figure 17: Technology and Platforms within the Network & Fleet Planning Domain ................ 28
Figure 18: Business Capability Map of the Ground Operations Domain..................................... 31
Figure 19: Ground Operations Domain Business Process............................................................ 33
Figure 20: Data Model of the Ground Operations Domain .......................................................... 34
Figure 21: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 35
Figure 22: Technology and Platforms within the Ground Operations Domain............................ 36
Figure 23: Business Capability Map of the Revenue Management & Pricing Domain ............... 38
Figure 24: Revenue Management & Pricing Domain Business Process ...................................... 40
Figure 25: Data Model of the Revenue Management & Pricing Domain .................................... 41
Figure 26: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 42
Figure 27: Technology and Platforms within the Revenue Management & Pricing Domain ...... 43
Figure 28: Business Capability Map of the Flight Operations Domain ....................................... 47
Figure 29: Flight Planning, Crew Management, and Operations Control Processes ................... 50
Figure 30: Flight Crew Activities During a Flight ....................................................................... 50
Figure 31: Data Model of the Flight Operations Domain ............................................................ 51
Figure 32: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 52
Figure 33: Technology and Platforms within the Flight Operations Domain .............................. 53
Figure 34: Business Capability Map of the Marketing & Customer Care Domain...................... 55
Figure 35: Marketing & Customer Care Domain Business Process ............................................ 57
Figure 36: Data Model of the Marketing & Customer Care Domain ........................................... 58
Figure 37: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 59
Figure 38: Technology and Platforms within the Marketing & Customer Care Domain............. 60
Figure 39: Business Capability Map of the Cargo Domain.......................................................... 62
Figure 40: Cargo Domain Business Process ................................................................................ 63
Figure 41: Data Model of the Cargo Domain ............................................................................... 63
Figure 42: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 64
Figure 43: Technology and Platforms within the Cargo Domain................................................. 65
Figure 44: Business Capability Map of the Maintenance Domain ............................................... 66
Figure 45: Maintenance Domain Business Process...................................................................... 67

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture v

 Figure 46: Data Model of the Maintenance Domain .................................................................... 68
Figure 47: Mapping Capabilities to Applications ........................................................................ 68
Figure 48: Technology and Platforms within the Maintenance Domain ...................................... 69
Figure 49: Support Domain Business Process.............................................................................. 69
Figure 50: Overall Structure ......................................................................................................... 74

vi The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Preface
The Open Group

The Open Group is a global consortium that enables the achievement of business objectives
through technology standards. Our diverse membership of more than 600 organizations includes
customers, systems and solutions suppliers, tools vendors, integrators, academics, and
consultants across multiple industries.

The Open Group aims to:

 Capture, understand, and address current and emerging requirements, establish policies,
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 Facilitate interoperability, develop consensus, and evolve and integrate specifications and
open source technologies
 Operate the industry’s premier certification service

Further information on The Open Group is available at [Link].

The Open Group publishes a wide range of technical documentation, most of which is focused
on development of Open Group Standards and Guides, but which also includes white papers,
technical studies, certification and testing documentation, and business titles. Full details and a
catalog are available at [Link]/library.

This Document

This document is The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture. It has been
developed and approved by The Open Group as a Preliminary Standard.

This standard is being published initially as a Preliminary Standard since it addresses an

emerging area of best practice; therefore, it may change before being published as a full-use
standard of The Open Group. In such a case, it will be made as upwards-compatible as possible
with the corresponding Preliminary Standard, but complete upwards-compatibility is not
guaranteed.

An ArchiMate® model has been created by The Open Group as a supporting artifact for this
Preliminary Standard. This is available online at: [Link]
aviation-ra-preliminary/.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture vii

 Trademarks
ArchiMate®, DirecNet®, Making Standards Work®, OpenPegasus®, Platform 3.0®, The Open
Group®, TOGAF®, UNIX®, UNIXWARE®, and the Open Brand X® logo are registered
trademarks and Boundaryless Information Flow™, Build with Integrity Buy with Confidence™,
Dependability Through Assuredness™, Digital Practitioner Body of Knowledge™, DPBoK™,
EMMM™, FACE™, the FACE™ logo, IT4IT™, the IT4IT™ logo, O-DEF™, O-PAS™, Open
FAIR™, Open O™ logo, Open Platform 3.0™, Open Process Automation™, Open Trusted
Technology Provider™, SOSA™, and The Open Group Certification logo (Open O and
check™) are trademarks of The Open Group.

Amadeus® is a registered trademark of Amadeus IT Group, SA.

BPMN™ and Business Process Modeling Notation™ are trademarks of Object Management
Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

CPLEX® is a registered trademark of IBM in the United States.

Etix® is a registered trademark of [Link], Inc.

IATA® is a registered trademark of International Air Transport Association.

Oracle® is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates.

All other brands, company, and product names are used for identification purposes only and may
be trademarks that are the sole property of their respective owners.

viii The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Acknowledgements
The Open Group gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the following people in the
development of this standard:
 Meng Fei, Air China
 Christopher Frost, Fujitsu
 Garikoitz Garcia, IAG GBS Ltd.
 Liu Jingli, China Eastern Airlines
 Mercedes Pantoja, IAG GBS Ltd.
 Kai Schroeder, Capgemini
 Eldar Sultanow, Capgemini

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture ix

 Referenced Documents
The following documents are referenced in this standard.

(Please note that the links below are good at the time of writing but cannot be guaranteed for the
future.)

Normative References

Normative references for this standard are defined in Section 1.4.

Informative References

 IATA® Cargo iQ Master Operating Plan (MOP):

[Link]/whatwedo/cargo/cargoiq/Pages/[Link]
 IATA® Freight Forwarder – Carrier – Ground Handling Agent Communication Functional
Specifications:
[Link]/document/264494839/IATA-Agent-Carrier-handling-Comm
 IATA® Ground Operations Manual:
[Link]/publications/store/Pages/[Link]
 IATA® Industry Data Model:
[Link]/whatwedo/passenger/Pages/[Link]
 IATA® New Distribution Capability:
[Link]/whatwedo/airline-distribution/ndc/Pages/[Link]
 ICAO/TCB Procurement Procedures and Mechanisms:
[Link]/APAC/Meetings/2013%20CRVTF1/WP07_ICAO%20AI3%20-
%20ICAO_Revised%20TCB%20Procurement%20Procedures%20and%20Mechanisms.p
df

x The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

1 Introduction

1.1 Objective
This standard is the specification of The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference
Architecture, Version 1.0, a standard of The Open Group. It is being published as a Preliminary
Standard. It describes a reference architecture that can be used to provide a common taxonomy
and basis for Enterprise Architecture for the commercial aviation industry.

1.2 Overview
The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture is a standard reference
architecture for the commercial aviation industry, covering the following domains:
 Product
 Sales
 Network & Fleet Planning
 Ground Operations (Ops)
 Revenue Management & Pricing
 Flight Operations (Ops)
 Marketing & Customer Care
 Cargo
 Maintenance
 Support

The standard includes a metamodel and Business, Application, Data, and Technology
Architecture descriptions for each of the domains.

1.3 Conformance
Readers are advised to check The Open Group website for any conformance and certification
requirements referencing this standard.

1.4 Normative References

The following standards contain provisions which, through references in this standard, constitute
provisions of The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture. At the time of

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 1

 publication, the editions indicated were valid. All standards are subject to revision, and parties to
agreements based on this standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the
most recent editions of the standards listed below. Members of IEC and ISO maintain registers
of currently valid International Standards.
 The TOGAF® Standard, Version 9.2, a standard of The Open Group (C182), published by
The Open Group, April 2018; refer to: [Link]/library/c182

1.5 Terminology
For the purposes of this standard, the following terminology definitions apply:

Can Describes a possible feature or behavior available to the user or application.

May Describes a feature or behavior that is optional. To avoid ambiguity, the opposite of
“may” is expressed as “need not”, instead of “may not”.

Shall Describes a feature or behavior that is a requirement. To avoid ambiguity, do not

use “must” as an alternative to “shall”.

Shall not Describes a feature or behavior that is an absolute prohibition.

Should Describes a feature or behavior that is recommended but not required.

Will Same meaning as “shall”; “shall” is the preferred term.

1.6 Future Directions

This document will be further revised to become a full-use standard.

The next version is anticipated to include (but not be limited to) the following improvements:
 Increased transparency of cross-domain aspects
Some capabilities, such as safety and security, span multiple domains. This will become
more transparent by providing a better end-to-end view.
 Detailing domains
Aircraft security/safety will be considered across domains, since it is not only a pre-
planning activity in Flight Operations. It will be included in Cargo (screening of cargo,
load planning, etc.), in Ground Operations (to seal the aircraft for overnight stops), and in
Maintenance, etc. Service quality will be treated as a cross-domain capability as well and
therefore included in Sales and Marketing & Customer Care.
 Enhanced technology architectures
In the current version the Technology Architecture provides a basic simplified overview;
the next version will include a detailed description.

2 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

2 Definitions

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply. For Enterprise
Architecture-related terms the TOGAF® standard should be referenced. All other terms are as
defined in the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 3

3 The Metamodel

This chapter describes the metamodel used throughout the standard to define the reference
architecture. The metamodel is defined for each of the four architecture domains defined.

3.1 Business Architecture

Symbol Element

Business Domain Business Domain (top-level element)

Subdomain (assigned to a Business Domain)

Subdomain

Business Capability (assigned to a Subdomain)

Business Capability

(BPMN1) Starting State and End State

(BPMN) Activities of a business process (can be chained)

Activity 1 Activity 2

(BPMN) An artifact (document, table, item, …) that is input

or output of an activity and that relates to an Information
Object

3.2 Application Architecture

The Application Architecture (see the TOGAF standard, Section 2.3) “provides a blueprint for
the individual applications to be deployed, their interactions, and their relationships to the core
business processes of the organization”. This standard maps capabilities to the applications,
which enable these capabilities.

1
Business Process Modeling Notation™ (BPMN™)

4 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Symbol Element

Application Application covers/possesses one or more Business

Capabilities

3.3 Data Architecture

Symbol Element

Entity describing a Data Object

Entity

Information Object
Information Object encompassing Entities

1…n Relations between Entities and Information Objects

1…1

n…m

3.4 Technology Architecture

Symbol Element

Technology Component Technology (Infrastructure) Component; these can be nested

hierarchically

3.5 Business Domain Model (Top-Level)

The Business Domain Model is the modeling starting point and the highest-level model type. It
shows the business domains and clusters the subdomains into these business domains.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 5

 Business Domain 1 Business Domain 3

Subdomain 1.1 Subdomain 1.2 Subdomain 1.3 Subdomain 3.1 Subdomain 3.2

Subdomain 1.4 Subdomain 1.5 Subdomain 1.6 Subdomain 3.3 Subdomain 3.4

Subdomain 3.5
Business Domain 2

Subdomain 2.1 Subdomain 2.2 Subdomain 2.3

Business Domain 4

Subdomain 2.4 Subdomain 2.5 Subdomain 2.6 Subdomain 4.1 Subdomain 4.2

3.5.1 Business Capability Map of Business Domain 4

For each business domain a Business Capability Map exists. This map assigns to each
subdomain all belonging business capabilities.

Subdomain 4.1 Subdomain 4.2

Capability 4.1.1 Capability 4.2.1

Capability 4.1.2 Capability 4.2.2

Capability 4.1.3 Capability 4.2.3

3.5.2 Map of Subdomain 4.2 Capabilities to Applications

The business capabilities are mapped to the applications, which cover/possess these capabilities.

Subdomain 4.2 Subdomain 4.2

Technology Component 1 Application 1

Capability 4.2.1
Application 1

Capability 4.2.2

Technology Component 2 Application 2

Application 2 Capability 4.2.3

6 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

3.6 Technology Model
Technology Components (e.g., platforms, databases, infrastructure components, …) are
clustered by subdomains and may be the underlying basis of applications.

3.7 Business Process Model

For each business domain a Business Capability Map exists. This map assigns to each
subdomain all belonging business capabilities.
input output input output input output input output
Business Process

Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4

Information Object 1

Information Object 2

Information Object 3

Information Object 4

Information Object 5

Information Object 6

Information Object 7

3.8 Entity Relationship Diagram

Entities (Data Objects) and Information Objects relate to each other. They can be nested
hierarchically and have attributes.

Information Object
Relation 2 Entity 3
Entity 1 Entity 2 - Attribute 1
Relation 1 - Attribute 2

Relation 3

Relation 4
Entity 4 Entity 5

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 7

4 Commercial Aviation Business Domains

The commercial aviation business domains consist of the following subdomains, as shown in
Figure 1.

Figure 1: Overview of Business Domains

8 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

5 Commercial Aviation Data Architecture

The Data Architecture is structured by means of a core model and extensions for specific
business domains. The core model contains and describes the top-level business objects for the
commercial aviation industry. Specific extensions add information objects to the core model for
the sake of clarification and more detailed consideration. Figure 2 gives an overview of the core
model entities.

1…n Point of Sale Offering

Sales
1…1 Service
Channel
n…m services sells
Customer

resolves to
Air/Ground
Accounts
Products

Baggage Passenger
holds

Freight Ticket Market

extended by
carries

Network Codeshare

services
Fleet Aircraft Flight Flight Leg Airport
assigned to
current

Crew
Seat Map
Rotation

Seat

Figure 2: Overview of Data Architecture Core Model Entities

Customers contact a point of sale, such as a travel agent, via sales channels in order to purchase
commercial aviation products. Products can be tickets for passenger flights as well as
contingents for cargo.

A passenger is a customer in person holding a valid ticket for a specific flight for which baggage
is allowed. A flight is an abstract entity that consists of flight legs, the actual air travel between
departure and arrival airport.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 9

 Airlines manage a network of flights in certain regions or globally. The network is periodically
re-organized, reduced, or extended according to customers’ demand. Codeshares are used to
organize co-operations between airlines.

An aircraft usually is part of a fleet operated by the airline and in case of passenger flights offers
seats according to a given seat map. Crews are assigned to a flight which is serviced by a
specific aircraft.

Table 1 provides a description of the Data Architecture entities.

Table 1: Data Architecture Entities

Entity Description

Aircraft An aircraft is a machine that flies between airports carrying passengers and freight.

Airport An airport is an aerodrome including a suitably large area for take-offs and landings
of aircrafts as well as buildings to operate flights.

Baggage Baggage or luggage is what a passenger is allowed to carry on a flight.

Codeshare A codeshare is a commercial aviation business arrangement where two or more

airlines share the same flight.

Crew Rotation A crew rotation is a team of commercial aviation staff actually servicing a flight.

Customer A customer is a company or human being doing business with the airline.

Fleet A fleet is the sum of an airline’s operating, planned, and retired aircrafts.

Flight A flight is a logical combination of flight legs. A passenger can have ticket for a
flight.

Flight Leg A flight leg or flight segment is a section of a flight that connects the departing and
arriving airport.

Freight Freight or cargo are goods stored in various containers being transported by an
aircraft.

Network The network is a list of all planned regularly operated flights of an airline.

Passenger A passenger is a customer holding a specific valid ticket.

Point of Sale The point of sale is the time and place where commercial aviation products are sold.

Product A commercial aviation product is an airline’s service for which a customer is willing
to pay a price.

Sales Channel A sales channel is the communication and transaction mechanism for point of sales
to sell products to customers.

Seat A seat is a location for a passenger to sit during a flight.

Seat Map A seat map represents the current arrangement of seats in an aircraft.

10 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Entity Description

Ticket A ticket or airline ticket is a travel document to confirm that a passenger has
purchased and reserved a seat on a flight on an aircraft.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 11

6 Business Domains and Subdomains

This chapter describes each business domain (as shown in Figure 1), its subdomains, and the
tasks within each subdomain.

6.1 Product
6.1.1 Subdomains

[Link] Product Management & Design

Product Management & Design is a subdomain of the Product domain.

Product Management & Design consists of several tasks related to air products, ground products,
product strategy, ancillary services, corporate design, and the customer experience.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Defining and develop the product portfolio and product strategy of Product Ground and
Product Air
 Define and develop customer experience onboard for different product parts (i.e., cabin
interior, seat and bed, services, In-Flight Entertainment (IFE), and multimedia)
 Define and develop customer experience for products on the ground
 Review and develop the customer experience of all kinds of products such as food and
beverages
 Manage corporate design and branding of the company

6.1.2 Business Architecture

Product Management &
Design

Manage Ancillary Services

Manage Product
(Ground & Air)
Define Product Portfolio
Strategy

Manage Corporate Design

Manage Customer
Experience

Figure 3: Business Capability Map of the Product Domain

12 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Table 2: Product Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Product Manage Ancillary Services Handles and manages all ancillary systems and
Management & services.
Design
Manage Product Ground Manages all ground product-related activities
such as lifecycle management, planning,
forecasting, or marketing of products at all
stages.

Manage Product Air Manages all air product-related activities such as

lifecycle management, planning, forecasting, or
marketing of products at all stages.

Define Product Portfolio Defines and develops product portfolio and

Strategy product strategy.

Manage Corporate Design Defines corporate design and branding.

Manage Customer Experience Defines and develops customer experience

onboard for cabin interior, seat and bed,
services, and customer experience of food and
beverage.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 13

 input output input output input output input output input output

Define

Product
Product & Product Manage Overview
Strategy,
Service Develop- Customer Product
Objectives
Design ment Experience Quality
& Methods

Product Strategy Documentation

Product Data & Requirements

Market Information

Customer Experience Design

Product & Service Design

Corporate Design

Offering

Product Management

Product & Service Description

Customer Experience Guidelines

Customer Experience Report

Ancillary Services Report

Systems Data

Figure 4: Product Domain Business Process

In Figure 4 the business process and extracted information objects of the Product domain are
depicted. The business process begins by defining the product strategy. For that product, data,
requirements, and market information are composed. In the Product & Service Design phase all
the necessary product components are designed and subsequently developed for production. In
this phase the Customer Experience, Product & Service, and Corporate Design are defined. The
Offering represents offered Air Products, Ground Products, and Services which are managed
according to the Product Management catalog. Product & Services descriptions and guidelines
help staff to maintain a high product quality to ensure superb customer experience. In the last
step the Product domain is also responsible for Product Quality and creates several reports and
monitors the systems data.

14 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.1.3 Data Architecture
1…n
1…1
n…m

Offering Product Management

Systems Product
Service
Data Requirements

Air/Ground
Products

Figure 5: Data Model of the Product Domain

Figure 5 describes the relationship of information objects and entities within the Product
Management & Design domain. The data model of the Product domain places most information
objects within the Product Management and Offering objects, where Product Management is
directly related to Offering. Product & Service Descriptions are defined in the Service and
Air/Ground Products entities.

6.1.4 Application Architecture

Product Management & Design

Product Management Product Maintenance

Application Application

Product/Service Design Product/Service Testing

Customer Experience Product/Service

Design Maintenance

Product Portfolio Strategy Product/Service Monitoring

Product/Service
Development

Media System

Manage IFE

Figure 6: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

Note: Business capabilities may be covered by applications at a finer granularity level than
the business capabilities summarized in the business view. In such a case this will lead
to the Application Architecture having more detailed capabilities relating to the
capabilities in the Business Architecture.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 15

6.1.5 Technology Architecture

Product Management

Product Communications Media

Management & Platform Monitoring
Analytics System
Platform

Figure 7: Technology and Platforms within the Product Domain

Regarding the Technology Architecture, the Product Management Applications have the
following responsibilities. The Applications are applied for developing products and services.
They receive corporate product strategy and include corporate design requirements, and are
responsible for designing customer experience throughout the product and service lifecycle.
Furthermore, they receive new services and products based on the corporate strategy and
customer data based on requirements, which they receive from various departments. The
reporting and communication is done using internal analytics and communication tools.
Furthermore, the Media System is the tool for managing IFE and multimedia systems.

6.2 Sales
6.2.1 Subdomains

[Link] Inventory Management

Inventory Management is a subdomain of the Sales domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Manage all flight-related inventory restrictions/allotments; e.g., available seats, capacity
left for Special Service Requests (SSRs), such as special food requirements, wheelchair,
seat at window, etc.
 Manage all flights with their available seats and divide seats into service classes and
booking classes, for which different prices and booking conditions apply
 Distribute schedules

[Link] Sales Channel Management

Sales Channel Management is a subdomain of the Sales domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Set up the sales channel strategy, including B2B, agent, direct sales, agencies, etc.
 Define sales channels, agents, company business, and group travel
 Responsible for Account Management, which analyzes and monitors B2B customer
relationships, maintains B2B data, and provides the B2B customer care function and
processes

16 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

[Link] Reservation Ticketing

Reservation Ticketing is a subdomain of the Sales domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provide interfaces to external Global Distribution Systems (GDS), such as Amadeus®2 and
independent online sites; the interfaces comprise technical functionality required to
communicate with external systems, but not the GDS business functionality itself
 Enable call center agents to sell the airline’s product(s) and services, to inform customers,
sell tickets to customers, and provide services, such as ticket/EMD issuing, rebooking,
reissuing, refunding, etc.
 Manage reservations and ticketing; i.e., preparation of Etix® tickets, issuing of paper
tickets, EMDs, rebooking, reissuing, refunding, and collection of payments
 Provide a direct connect interface to third parties

[Link] Direct Sales Channel & Shopping

Direct Sales Channel & Shopping is a subdomain of the Sales domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provide direct sales channels and be responsible for the search of products (i.e., flight
products and bundles)
 Create offers (including ancillaries) and reservations and handle the (re)book and order
 Responsible for ancillary services, cross-selling, up-selling, product bundling, and
providing a shopping cart

[Link] Sales Agent Channels

Sales Agent Channels is a subdomain of the Sales domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provide all sales channels and allow sales agents to sell products (indirect/direct sales,
domestic/international, online/offline, and group sales)
 Allow the corporate sales account to sell products (to business, domestic/international,
online/offline, and group sales)
 Provide sales data reports and statistics for agents

6.2.2 Business Architecture

Figure 8 depicts the business capabilities grouped by subdomains of the Sales domain.

2
Amadeus is a GDS owned by the Amadeus IT Group with headquarters in Madrid, Spain.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 17

 Inventory Management Sales Channel Management Reservation Ticketing Direct Sales Channel &
Shopping
Define Sales Channel
Manage Seat Inventory Search Flight
Strategy Search And Offer Product

Manage Wait Lists Manage Sales Channel Search Basic Flight

Create Reservation

Distribute Schedule Search Multistop Flight

Sales Agent Channels Manage Order
Manage Flight-related Report Sales Agent Search Rebook Flight
Availability Restrictions Statistics Manage Booking

Manage Sales Agents Create Reservation

Manage Sales Accounts Execute Book On Hold

Service List

Figure 8: Business Capability Map of the Sales Domain

Table 3 lists and describes the business capabilities of the Sales domain.
Table 3: Sales Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Inventory Manage Seat Inventory Manages the seat inventory.

Management
Manage Wait Lists Manages the internal waiting lists.

Distribute Schedule Distributes schedules to the various stations

served by the airline.

Manage Flight-related Manages all incoming flight-related availability

Availability Restrictions restrictions.

Reservation Search Flight A flight search consist of search criteria and

Ticketing additional information, like personalized
context, and returns availability, fares, and
flight-related ancillaries.

Search Basic Flight Collect and delegate search parameters to Flight

Offer Component.

Search Multistop Flight A multi-stop flight is simply a group of basic

flights, excluding return and repeated flights.

Search Rebook Flight Search for flights like basic search but added
with information of rebooking to fare
calculation.

Create Reservation The user can book a refundable flight.

18 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Domain Service Name Objective

Execute Book On Hold The user can select a flight for reservation. This
process executes the debit and the creation of the
reservation.

Service List An IATA® NDC API-comparable service to

provide ancillaries for the flight(s).

Direct Sales Search And Offer Product Responsible for the search and availability of
Channel & products.
Shopping
Create Reservation Based on a user’s inquiry, creates a reservation.

Manage Order Manages the incoming order inquiries.

Manage Booking Manages the incoming booking inquiries.

Sales Agent Define Sales Channel Strategy Defines the sales strategies for each channel.
Channels
Manage Sales Channel Responsible for operations and overview of a
sales channel.

Report Sales Agent Statistics Provides relevant statistics and analytical

reports.

Manage Sales Agents Manages the responsible sales agents.

Manage Sales Accounts Manages the sales account.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 19

 input output input output input output input output input output

Define
Sales

Sales
Sales Inventory Reservation
Channel Sales
Channel Mgmt. of Tickets
Mgmt.
Strategy

Sales Channel Strategy

Documentation
Accounts Responsibilities

Fare Information

Seat Inventory

Ticket/Booking Status

Waiting Lists

Sales KPIs
Coordination
Documents
Sales Reports

Booking Status

Ticket Status

Figure 9: Sales Domain Business Process

In Figure 9 the business process and extracted information objects of the Sales domain are
depicted. The business process begins by defining the sales channel strategy. The required
documentation, fare information, and account responsibilities are created there. Within the
Inventory Management, seat inventory, waiting lists, and recurring ticket/booking statuses are
produced. Subsequently, Sales channel Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and coordination and
sales guidelines are defined. Within the sales process, reports are created. The Sales domain is
also responsible for the reservation of tickets. Therefore, it needs to overview the booking and
ticket status.

20 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.2.3 Data Architecture
1…n
1…1
Point of Sale Offering
n…m
Sales Booking Class
Service
Channel
services sells
Customer Price
resolves to

Air/Ground Service Class

Accounts
Products

Passenger Reservation
holds

Ticket Booking Market

Seat Map Seat

Figure 10: Data Model of the Sales Domain

Figure 10 describes the relation of information objects and entities within the Sales domain. The
Fare and Price of the tickets are directly related to the offering. The Price also relates to the
available booking and service classes. In this model the customer resolves to a passenger who is
related to a reservation, booking, and the acquired Ticket. The Ticket is related to the Seat Map
which includes Seats.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 21

6.2.4 Application Architecture
Inventory Management Reservation Ticketing Sales Channel Management

Inventory Management Booking System Sales Management System

System

Define Sales Channel

Manage Seat Inventory Search Flight
Strategy

Manage Wait Lists Search Basic Flight Manage Sales Channel

Report Sales Agent

Distribute Schedule Search Multistop Flight
Statistics

Manage Flight-related
Search Rebook Flight Manage Sales Agents
Availability Restrictions

Create Reservation Manage Sales Accounts

Direct Sales Channel &
Shopping Execute Book On Hold
Direct Sales Platform
Service List
Search And Offer Product

Create Reservation

Manage Order

Manage Booking

Figure 11: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

6.2.5 Technology Architecture

Bookings / Direct Sales

Shop e-Commerce
System Web Portal

Planning & Scheduling

Flight Scheduling System

Sales
Customer Relationship
Management System

Figure 12: Technology and Platforms within the Sales Domain

22 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Note: Although the Technology Architecture and Application Architecture are similar, there
is still a significant difference between the two – the Application Architecture shows
applications and the Technology Architecture shows the underlying technologies that
enable these applications to operate.

6.3 Network & Fleet Planning

6.3.1 Subdomains

[Link] Fleet Planning

Fleet Planning is a subdomain of the Network & Fleet Planning domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Plan the future fleet size and the needed capacity and composition, as well as the
configuration need and the delivery schedule
 Support processes around aircraft sourcing and Entry Into Service (EIS)

[Link] Network Management

Network Management is a subdomain of the Network & Fleet Planning domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Design Network Management and optimize airline’s flight network regarding bases,
destinations, routes, and frequency of flights between the destinations to optimize yield
and profitability
 Evaluate partner potential and opportunities concerning network and slots, sales and
markets, product, alliances

[Link] Network Data Analysis

Network Data Analysis is a subdomain of the Network & Fleet Planning domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Analyze market and customer data and prepare database to facilitate network planning and
scheduling process
 Gather data to allow analyses to understand and predict historic and future schedule
preferences of customers
 Gather actual flight-related cost data and provide predictions of cost figures for
subsequent analysis processes
 Create Origin and Destination (O&D) view on customers’ movements
 Feed data into revenue/yield management and network planning processes to improve
various optimizers

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 23

[Link] Co-operations & Alliances

Co-operations & Alliances is a subdomain of the Network & Fleet Planning domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provide reporting and accounting for alliances and joint ventures

[Link] Scheduling Codeshare

Scheduling Codeshare is a subdomain of the Network & Fleet Planning domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Define schedules including flights, timings, and aircraft type for periodical and fully dated
flight schedules
 Manage slot assets and contracts with AOL
 Negotiate slots in IATA slot conference and enrich codeshare information
 Publish flight plan and distribute flight plan to various systems (CRS, internal)

6.3.2 Business Architecture

Scheduling Codeshare Network Data Analysis Network Management

Manage Slots Analyze Market Data Design Flight Network

Gather Historic Sales Manage Commercial

Publish Flight Plan
Statistics Partners

Manage Codeshares Gather Flight Costs Optimize Flight Network

Assign Fleet Model O&D Insights

Optimize Schedule Provide O&D Insights

Co-operations & Alliances Fleet Planning

Report Alliances And

Support Aircraft Sourcing
Statistics

Report Joint Venture

Manage Fleet Size
Statistics

Manage Co-operation
Manage Entry Into Service
Accounting

Figure 13: Business Capability Map of the Network & Fleet Planning Domain

24 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Table 4: Network & Fleet Planning Domain Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Scheduling Manage Slots Negotiates slots in IATA slot conference.

Codeshare
Publish Flight Plan Makes the current flight plan available to
internal and external consumers.

Manage Codeshares Manages slot assets and contracts with AOL.

Assign Fleet Assigns the appropriate fleet to the published

flight plan.

Optimize Schedule Optimizes the schedule with respect to customer

satisfaction and profitability at the same time.

Network Data Analyze Market Data Analyzes markets based on internal and external
Analysis facts and sources.

Gather Historic Sales Statistics Collects internal and external historic facts and
figures on actual sales.

Gather Flight Costs Collects the actual costs generated by individual

flights.

Model O&D Insights Analytical model of the flight plan.

Provide O&D Insights Analyzes Flight Plan Data according to model to

gather requirements for next flight plan
schedule.

Network Design Flight Network The process of designing a future flight network
Management based on the current set-up and influenced by
market demands and partners’ capabilities.

Manage Commercial Partners Supports the process of managing existing

partnerships, onboarding new ones, and
hibernating less productive ones.

Optimize Flight Network Optimizes plans for future flight networks by

simulating variations and finding potential
optimums.

Co-operations & Report Alliances And Statistics Generates and publishes reports about
Alliances operational and financial aspects of business
with alliance members.

Report Joint Venture Statistics Generates and publishes reports about

operational and financial aspects of the business
in joint ventures.

Manage Co-operation Insures the correct accounting of the business

Accounting with co-operation partners.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 25

 Domain Service Name Objective

Fleet Planning Support Aircraft Sourcing Supports the business process of aircraft
sourcing by delivering the most current demand
model for fleet size and time lines.

Manage Fleet Size Determines the adequate size of the future fleet
based on customer and market demands. Takes
into account the contribution of partners and
joint ventures.

Manage Entry Into Service Manages the transition of aircrafts from the state
of purchased to fully serviceable.

input output input output input output input output input output
Network & Fleet
Planning

Network & Network & Network

Network Scheduling
Fleet Fleet Data
Mgmt. Codeshare
Planning Operations Analysis

Network & Fleet Strategy

Network Requirements

Calculated Fleet Sizes

Historical Sales Statistics

Commercial Partners Doc

Designed Flight Network

Market Data Report

Gathered Flight Costs

O&D Insights Model

Alliance & Statistics Report

Joint Venture & Statistics Report

Codeshares

Flight Plan

Optimized Schedule

Figure 14: Network & Fleet Planning Domain Business Process

In Figure 14 the business process and extracted information objects of the domain are depicted.
The business process begins by defining the Network & Fleet Planning strategy. It defines the
network requirements and calculates the optimal fleet sizes. Within Network Management it
compares historical sales statistics and defines commercial partners. Network & Fleet Operations
and Network Data Analysis create market data reports, gather flight costs, and several other
reports. Within the code sharing process it creates the flight plan, and optimizes the schedule and
a code sharing object.

26 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.3.3 Data Architecture
1…n
extended by
1…1 Network Codeshare
n…m

services
Flight Plan Flight Flight Leg Airport

Figure 15 Data Model of the Network & Fleet Planning Domain

Figure 15 describes the relationship of information objects and entities within the Network &
Fleet Planning domain. The Network is directly related to the Flight where the Network is
extended by the Codeshare entity.

6.3.4 Application Architecture

Figure 16 illustrates the Application Architecture of the Network & Fleet Planning domain.

Network & Fleet Planning

Fleet Management Network Management Partner Management

Manage Commercial
Assign Fleet Design Flight Network
Partners

Manage Fleet Size Optimize Flight Network

Accounting

Support Aircraft Sourcing Model O&D Insights Manage Co-operation

Accounting
Manage Entry Into Service Provide O&D Insights

Publishing Codeshare Business Intelligence

Report Alliances And

Manage Slots Analyze Market Data
Statistics

Report Joint Venture Gather Historical Sales

Manage Codeshares
Statistics Statistics

Publish Flight Plan Optimize Schedule Gather Flight Costs

Figure 16: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 27

6.3.5 Technology Architecture

Accounting

Manage Manage
Business Enterprise
Transactions Resources

Business Intelligence

Predictive Data Providing

Providing
Analyzing Warehousing Data Science
Data Science

Figure 17: Technology and Platforms within the Network & Fleet Planning Domain

The Technology Architecture consists of multiple applications. Accounting is an application

component which uses the transaction infrastructure service for the processing of monetary
flows. It is a logical application component for the management of financial accounts of partners
and suppliers. The Accounting applications include two infrastructure services, Managing
Business Transactions and Managing Enterprise Resources. Managing Business Transactions is
used to monitor and manage business transactions. Managing Enterprise Resources is used to
effectively distribute resources where they are needed at the right time.

Another application component is Business Intelligence (BI). It is a logical application

component for all BI functionality such as reports of historic business data and optional forecasts
thereof. The BI applications include several infrastructure services like Data Warehousing,
Predictive Analytics, and Providing Data Science. An intelligent business environment includes
data warehousing, which is used to analyze data, to extract reports, and to store related data.
Predictive Analytics is used to make predictions based on historical data. Lastly, Providing Data
Science is an operation about extracting knowledge or gaining insights into various types
ofinformation. It is often coupled with similar operations such as statistics, data mining, or
predictive analytics and is similar to knowledge discovery in databases.

6.4 Ground Operations (Ops)

Ground Operations handle aircrafts, passengers, and freight on the ground, typically at an
airport. The IATA Ground Operations Manual, however, specifically excludes “aircraft
maintenance, fuelling, or de-icing tasks” from ground operations. One important effort of ground
operation is, after the safety and the quality of service, minimizing the ground time of aircrafts.
Since there are many types of ground operation, the reference architecture divides the business
domain ground operations into the following subdomains.

6.4.1 Subdomains

[Link] Station Management

Station Management is a subdomain of the Ground Operations domain. According to the IATA
Industry Data Model, station is just a generic term for airport. This subdomain handles the
management services and processes at an airport.

28 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:
 The Management ramp (agent) activity supervises handling of baggage, techniques,
freight, food, and cleaning, boarding, deboarding, and (un)loading
 The Management airport information handles and provides information such as minimum
ground times, connecting times, and airport master data
 Passenger Streams Management is dedicated to minimizing passenger transfer time and
aircraft ground time at an airport
 Equipment Management handles the ground service equipment
 Information to ground handling staff provides global work instructions and irregular
information
 Lounges Management handles and analyzes the using of passenger lounges at an airport
 Management of Irregularities recognizes, records, and resolves non-standard situations at
an airport

[Link] Ground Staff Management

Ground Staff Management is a subdomain of the Ground Operations domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Plan ground manpower and carry out shift planning
 Manage activities such as rostering and disposition

[Link] Passenger Check-In

Passenger Check-In is a subdomain of the Ground Operations domain. The subject of this
subdomain is ground operations primarily related to the passenger until they enter the aircraft.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Manage the check-in and boarding process, including check of reservation versus ticket,
documents issuing for boarding pass, vouchers, Etix receipts, includes self-service check-
in including baggage (kiosk, web, and mobile)
 Responsible for automatic check-in, interline through check-in processes
 Accept baggage and collect excess fees and fees for additional chargeable services (e.g.,
ASR)
 Handle passengers on a waiting list and irregularities such as over-bookings and checking
documents required for checked-in segments (advanced passenger information, passport,
and visa) and transmit data
 Issue vouchers (e.g., meal vouchers, lounge invitations) during regular and irregular
operations

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 29

[Link] Load Planning

Load Planning is a subdomain of the Ground Operations domain. The IATA Ground Operations
Manual defines ground operations related to loading of an aircraft: load planning, load control
flow, and load reporting.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Responsible for preparing and calculating the electronic load plan and optimizing load
planning for aircrafts taking into consideration account load limitations, individual
baggage priorities, and dangerous goods restrictions
 Align load process with all neighboring processes; e.g., boarding of aircraft
 Provide load information to ramp agents and to the flight crew

[Link] Airport Infrastructure

Airport Infrastructure is a subdomain of the Ground Operations domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provide specific airport infrastructure and processes; i.e., CUTE, CUSS, CUPPS, and
QBG

[Link] Baggage Management

Baggage Management is a subdomain of the Ground Operations domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Reconcile baggage and flights, track baggage, trace baggage, and reunite baggage with
owner in case of losses
 Manage loading and unloading activities of the baggage to and from the aircraft
 Manage unloading of baggage of passengers who fail to board the flight
 Redirect baggage that missed a flight and interact with airport baggage management
 Monitor and quality assure baggage processes

6.4.2 Business Architecture

Figure 18 depicts the Business Capabilities grouped by subdomains of the Ground Operations
domain.

30 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Passenger Check-In Station Management Baggage Management

Check In Passenger Manage Ground Handling Track Baggage

Board Passenger Manage Airport Information Manage Baggage Loading

Manage Passenger Manage Baggage

Handle Wait List
Streams Unloading

Accept Baggage Manage Lounges Redirect Baggage

Manage Irregularities On
Issue Vouchers Reconcile Baggage
Station

Check Travel Documents Manage Ramp Activities

Load Planning Ground Staff Management Airport Infrastructure

Provide Airport
Control Load Process Manage Rostering
Infrastructure

Plan Load Process Plan Staff Disposition

Provide Load Information Plan Shifts

Figure 18: Business Capability Map of the Ground Operations Domain

Table 5: Ground Operations Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Passenger Check In Passenger Registers passenger for a flight. Creates

Check-In Passenger Information List (PIL) and issues
standard check-in messages.

Board Passenger Registers passenger for entering aircraft.

Handle Wait List Sets passenger on wait lists based on booking

status and airline policy.

Accept Baggage Registers checked baggage for a flight.

Issue Vouchers Issues vouchers (e.g., meal vouchers, lounge

invitations) during regular and irregular
operations.

Check Travel Documents Checks passenger’s travel documents and places

passenger in departure control system according
to the IATA Ground Operations Manual.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 31

 Domain Service Name Objective

Load Planning Control Load Process According to the IATA Ground Operations
Manual, documents all load activities for each
flight and issues load messages.

Plan Load Process Plans aircraft load based on passenger, freight,

fueling, and other information.

Provide Load Information Creates load documentation for load staff and
cabin crew.

Station Manage Ground Handling Ensures all required ground operations are done.
Management
Manage Airport Information Holds airport information up-to-date (e.g.,
minimum ground times, connecting times,
airport master data).

Manage Passenger Streams Controls and optimizes the passenger stream on

the ground.
Transfers passenger with minimum waiting time.

Manage Lounges Manages access control and analyzes use of

lounges.

Manage Irregularities On Recognizes, records, and resolves non-standard

Station situations during ground operations.

Manage Ramp Activities Manages onloading and offloading of an aircraft

and provides cabin crew with load documents.

Ground Staff Manage Rostering Creates and manages rosters for ground staff and
Management ground equipment.

Plan Staff Disposition Places ground staff at the right time in the right
operating area and documents it.

Plan Shifts Plans shifts of ground staff and equipment.

Baggage Track Baggage Records baggage movements at the airport.

Management
Manage Baggage Loading Distributes pieces of baggage to Unit Load
Devices (ULDs) before loading into aircraft.

Manage Baggage Unloading Collects pieces of baggage from Unit Load

Devices (ULDs) after unload from aircraft.

Redirect Baggage Forwards baggage that missed a flight.

Reconcile Baggage Ensures the baggage in the aircraft belongs to

the boarded passenger.

32 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Domain Service Name Objective

Airport Provide Airport Infrastructure Manages airport infrastructure; i.e., commonly

Infrastructure used terminal, self-service kiosks, passenger
processing system, etc.
Operations on
Passenger

Check In Boarding
Passenger

Check In Boarding Check In Boarding

Opened Ticket Complete Complete
Card
Operations on Baggage

Accept Baggage
Reconcile
Baggage Baggage
Tag
Redirect
Baggage

Electronic Ticket List

Passenger &
Common Ground

Baggage Load
Operations

Pre-Check In Teletype Passenger Manifest

Departure

Information
Post-Check In
, Passenger Transfer Message
Passenger Name
List, Addition &
Last Minute Passenger Passenger Service Message
Deletion List
Changes Information List

Plan On Control On Provide Load Aircraft

On Load
Load Load Information Complete Departure
Operations
Ground Operations on

Load
Instruction Loadsheet
Aircraft

Report
Freight Load
Notification to
Information Captain

Last Minute
Changes Load Messages
CPM, LDM, UCM
Aircraft Servicing Operations

Figure 19: Ground Operations Domain Business Process

Figure 19 describes how the subdomains and services shown in Figure 18 work together. The
process is basically divided into the four process sections: Ground Operations on Aircraft,
Common Ground Operations, Operations on Baggage, and Operations on Passenger. Shipping
processes are, as already mentioned, not part of this domain and thus explicitly out of scope.

After the Pre-Check-In, the process starts with Check-In Opened and Check-In Passenger with
his Ticket. The baggage is then picked up and all information is passed on in order to plan the
load in an automated way. The baggage is not declared until the guest’s actual boarding
information is processed, and the aircraft is loaded according to the intelligent planning.

When boarding, the passenger data is recorded, stored, and forwarded. After these tasks are
completed and all necessary information is available and consistent, the process is complete.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 33

6.4.3 Data Architecture
1…n
1…1 Baggage
n…m

Freight
Document
Freight Crew
Rotation
Load
Cargo/Mail

carries
Document

assigned to
Fleet Aircraft Flight

current
Seat Map

Seat

Figure 20: Data Model of the Ground Operations Domain

Figure 20 illustrates important information objects, which are related to ground operations and
their relationships. Regarding the business process of the Ground Operations domain, the
derived sub-processes produce information objects; e.g., freight documents or a passenger list.
The objects are modeled into entities and are represented in the data model above. In the center
is the entity Aircraft, to which the entities Flight, Seat Map, Fleet, and Freight are directly
connected. A crew rotation is assigned directly to a flight. Freight is related to Cargo/Mail,
Freight Document, and Baggage. The Data Architecture describes the structure of the Ground
Operations domain, whereas the business capabilities depict the behavior of the domain.

6.4.4 Application Architecture

Figure 21 shows the mapping of business capabilities to types of applications.

34 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Load Planning Ground Staff Management Baggage Management

Load Planning Tool Resource Planning Tool Baggage Tracking System

Control Load Process Manage Rostering Track Baggage

Plan Load Process Plan Staff Disposition Redirect Baggage

Provide Load Information Plan Shifts

Manage Baggage Loading

Manage Baggage
Unloading

Station Management Passenger Check-In

Airport Management System Passenger and Baggage

Processing Application /
Provide Airport Depature Control System
Infrastructure

Manage Airport Check In Passenger

Information
Board Passenger
Manage Ramp Activities

Handle Wait List

Manage Ground Handling

Manage Passenger Accept Baggage

Streams
Check Travel Documents
Manage Lounges

Manage Irregulatories On
Station

Issue Vouchers

Figure 21: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

The Application Architecture is divided into applications, which integrate the services of the
subdomains. The Load Planning Tool handles the loading processes of the aircraft. A Resource
Planning Tool ensures that layers of employees are sorted in groups and tasks are distributed
between them. With the Baggage Tracking System, an application is integrated, which allows
you to track the location and the progress of the baggage at any time. In the Baggage Processing
System, on the other hand, all baggage activities are tracked. The Airport Management System
bundles and provides all airport infrastructure tasks. Finally, the passenger flows are guided, and
information is collected, bundled, and evaluated in the Passenger and Departure Control System.

6.4.5 Technology Architecture

Figure 22 depicts the technology and platforms within the Ground Operations domain.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 35

 Common Enterprise Software Plattform or Cloud Enterprise Plattform

Ressource Load Planning Airport Airline

Planning Tool Management Management
Tool System System

Communication and Messaging Platform

TTY ACARS Email ….

Common Use Passenger Tracking Platform

Processing System (CUPPS)
Platform
Passenger & Baggage Baggage Tracking Application
Processing Application/
Departure Control System

Figure 22: Technology and Platforms within the Ground Operations Domain

The Technology Architecture describes the infrastructure as well as the platform, database, and
other technological components needed as the foundation for the applications in Figure 22. In
the Ground Operations domain, the Technology Architecture is represented in four components.
The first component, Common Enterprise Software Platform or Cloud Enterprise Platform,
includes several tools for operationally managing resources and cargo, as well as providing a
system for airport and airline management. The second component, Communication and
Messaging Platform, is responsible for communication in the domain and includes applications
such as Aircraft Communication and Reporting System (ACARS) or email. The third
component, Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) Platform, includes
applications for passenger and baggage systems and control systems. The last component of the
Technology Architecture is the Tracking Platform. This includes applications for the tracking
and administration of baggage and shipments.

6.5 Revenue Management & Pricing

6.5.1 Subdomains
[Link] Availability Management

Availability Management is a subdomain of the Revenue Management & Pricing domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Manage booking class availability derived from outputs of Forecast & Optimization
(demand and no-show forecasts, bid prices)

36 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

  Direct availability control (in case of irregularity management), decision support for
revenue controlling, and availability for ancillary and special services (ASR, wheelchair,
special meal, etc.)

[Link] Forecast & Optimization

Forecast & Optimization is a subdomain of the Revenue Management & Pricing domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Forecasts of demand, bookings, cancellations, and buy-downs
 No-show figures based on historical, special, and expert data
 Control the forecast and optimization process, which are monitored here
 Optimize revenue (fare-mix, over-bookings) to steer capacity based on average earnings,
the management of availability, inventory, and reservation data

[Link] Pricing

Pricing is a subdomain of the Revenue Management & Pricing domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provision and distribution of prices and conditions for each service and the booking class
on each market
 Maximize the airline’s revenue, monitor competitor’s prices, and define the price concept
and strategy

[Link] Group Bookings

Group Bookings is a subdomain of the Revenue Management & Pricing domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Check the availability for groups and the determine group pricing; this is necessitated by
the fact that the process for booking of groups slightly differs from the standard booking
process

6.5.2 Business Architecture

The Business Architecture offers a management-oriented perspective onto the corporate
structure, as it includes a business capability view that groups capabilities by subdomains. This
includes a description of business capabilities, a business process that portrays the workflow, as
well as the inputs and outputs of the relevant steps.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 37

 Group Bookings Availability Management

Search Flights Multi PAX Seat Availability

Check Seat Availability Manage Availability

Pricing

Search Flight Up 9 PAX Manage Influences

Quote Fares

Manage And Distribute

Forecast & Optimization Fares

Calculate Forecast Calculate Prices

Optimize Availability Monitor Competitor Prices

Figure 23: Business Capability Map of the Revenue Management & Pricing Domain

The business capabilities grouped by subdomains of the Revenue Management & Pricing
domain are depicted in Figure 23. The business capabilities belonging to the Revenue
Management & Pricing domain are described in Table 6. Several of these have to be transformed
into the definitions from the IATA New Distribution Capability.

In general, business capabilities claim to be free of overlap, express abilities organizations

require, or offer and provide a logical grouping of these services. A business capability answers
the question of “what” a service carries out, clearly distinguishing from the analogous question
of “how” something is being carried out. All business capabilities, especially when introduced
into a reference architecture, must conform to these principles.
Table 6: Revenue Management & Pricing Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Group Bookings Search Flights Multi PAX A flight search consists of search criteria
including more than nine passenger criteria and
returns availability, fares, and flight-related
ancillaries.

Check Seat Availability Checks the availability of more than nine seats
for a specific flight and booking class.

Search Flight Up 9 PAX If the user searches for flights with more than
nine passengers, the seat availability has to be
checked first.

Availability Seat Availability A service to receive available seats by booking

Management class.

Manage Availability (Re)Calculates availabilities (to be presented to

customers or published through the e-Commerce
channel) based on relevant settings and stored
sold bookings.

38 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Domain Service Name Objective

Manage Influences Allows adjustment of the influence settings,

which are used as input to the calculation of
availabilities and result therefore in a modified
output.

Forecast & Calculate Forecast Calculates the expected demand of seats based
Optimization on historical bookings and current booking
trend.

Optimize Availability Optimizes availabilities by utilizing forecasts

and the current sold capacity to recalculate the
inventory settings.

Pricing Quote Fares A service to provide the fares fitting the search
criteria (the available flights).

Manage And Distribute Fares Provision and communication of the fare model
including conditions to partners and fare filing.

Calculate Prices Calculates the prices to be provided for the

various fares.

Monitor Competitor Prices Tracks and observes pricing models and current
fares offered by competitors.

Business process models provide a means of developing a behavioral view of the system under
investigation. The business process of the Revenue Management & Pricing domain is depicted in
Figure 23, which selectively illustrates the input and output of each activity.

As part of the initial step in this process, the strategy, objectives, and methods are defined.
During the second step, the market is analyzed and tactics are selected, followed by creation of a
proposal appropriately managed by the governance structures. The penultimate step is to govern
capacity.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 39

 input output input output input output input output input output input output

Revenue Mgmt.
Define Analyse
Secure
Strategy, Market & Create Govern Govern
Revenue
Objectives, Define Proposal Proposal Capacity
Integrity
& Methods Tactics

Passage Strategy

Fleet Plan

RM Goals/Budget

Codeshare/Prorate Agreements

Bid History

Market Information

Flight Schedule & Connections

Forecast for Price Elasticity

Assessment of Competition

Assessment of Market Potential

Market Goals & Tactics

Taxes & Charges

Product Portfolio & Price Points

Price Rules for Bundles

Deployed Fares

Bid Price

Partner Availability

Capacity (inc. Other Airline)

Saleable Capacity

Contingents

Ticket Not Under Fare Conditions

Payment Using Stolen Credit Card

Notice of Attempted Fraud

Figure 24: Revenue Management & Pricing Domain Business Process

6.5.3 Data Architecture

The Data Architecture offers an insight into the organizational data model. A suitable reference
point for a data model fitting organizations of the commercial aviation industry is the IATA
Industry Data Model, which facilitates the development and maintenance of messaging standards
in the commercial aviation industry.3

3
The basis is a consistent model collaboratively developed and maintained by globally distributed industry working groups that use
the Sparx Enterprise Architect tool, including the “industry-agreed vocabulary, data models, and message definitions, as well as the
related business process context and requirements”. Oracle® provides a particularly detailed data model as well, the Oracle Airline
Data Model (OADM). It is “a standards-based, industry-specific, prebuilt data warehouse database schema with associated analytic
models and dashboard” and a key component of the Oracle Passenger Data Management Industry Solution.

40 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 1…n
Point of Sale Offering
1…1 Booking
Sales Channel Service Class
n…m
services
Customer Price

resolves to
Service
Air/Ground
Accounts Class
Products

Passenger

Travel
holds

Documents

Price Ticket Price

Market

Seat Map

Seat

extended by
Network Codeshare

Flight Plan Flight

Figure 25: Data Model of the Revenue Management & Pricing Domain

Here, a reasonably abstracted segment is displayed in Figure 25 illustrating fundamental

business entities of the Revenue Management & Pricing domain and their relationships.

6.5.4 Application Architecture

Figure 26 depicts the mapping of business capabilities to applications. The main applications
assigned to the Group Bookings domain are the Group Offer Manager, Group Sales Tool, and
Group Reservation. A real-time-capable Availability Calculator represents the application,
which forms the core of the Availability Management subdomain. Similarly, a Forecaster is part
of the Forecast & Optimization subdomain. The Pricing subdomain is covered by the Fare
Engine, which calculates prices and distributes fares. Also part of the Pricing subdomain is the
Market Observation Engine that monitors published offers by competitors. Such an assignment
of applications to the business capabilities within the relevant subdomain clarifies what kind of
functionality a new application must cater for if it is to be considered to replace an existing
application in future.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 41

 Group Bookings

Group Offer Manager Group Sales Tool

Search Flights Multi PAX Group Reservation

Check Seat Availability Pricing Module for Group

Reservation
Search Flight Up 9 PAX

Availability Management Forecast & Optimization Pricing

Availability Calculator Forecaster Fare Engine

(Real Time)
Quote Fares
Seat Availability Calculate Forecast
Calculate Prices
Manage Availability Optimize Availability
Manage And Distribute
Fares
Manage Influences

Market Observation Engine

Monitor Competitor Prices

Figure 26: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

6.5.5 Technology Architecture

The technology layer of the Revenue Management & Pricing domain is subdivided into four
technological areas, Bookings/Direct Sales, Forecast, Availability Optimization, and Availability
Management. The first area includes an e-Commerce Web Portal backed by a Shop System.
Within the second area, namely the Forecast area, a Data Loader, Integrator, Store, and Analyzer
are located, which correspond to a typical BI architecture. Availability Optimization, the third
area, is technologically represented by a Linear Optimization Problem Solver, such as IBM
CPLEX®. An Availability Request Processor, which is high throughput-directed, forms the core
part of the last area: Availability Management. Here, the critical aspect is the ability to process
as many requests as possible in the shortest timeframe. Within this technology layer, essential
platforms can be found, providing various services to applications, which are located in a layer
above. Figure 27 depicts the technology and platforms within the Revenue Management &
Pricing domain.

42 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Bookings/Direct Sales

Shop e-Commerce
System Web Portal

Forecast

Data Loader Integrator Store Analyzer

Availability Optimization Availability Management

Linear Optimization Availability Request Processor

Problem Solver (High Throughput Directed)

Figure 27: Technology and Platforms within the Revenue Management & Pricing Domain

6.6 Flight Operations (Ops)

6.6.1 Subdomains

[Link] Operational Flight Planning

Operational Flight Planning is a subdomain of the Flight Operations domain.

An operational flight plan is required to ensure an airplane meets all of the operational
regulations for a specific flight, to give the flight crew information to help them conduct the
flight safely, and to coordinate with Air Traffic Control (ATC).

A flight plan includes the route the crew will fly and specifies altitudes and speeds. It also
provides calculations for how much fuel the airplane will use and the additional fuel it will need
to carry to meet various requirements for safety. Minimum information on an operational flight
plan includes:
 What speed to fly (possibly varying along the route)
 How much fuel the airplane will burn (“trip fuel”)
 Total departure fuel, and how it is allocated – fuel to alternate, contingency fuel, and other
allocations that vary between airlines and regulatory rules
 What route (ground track) to fly
 What profile (altitudes along the route) to fly

By varying the route (i.e., ground track), altitudes, speeds, and amount of departure fuel, an
effective flight plan can reduce fuel costs, time-based costs, overflight costs (to obtain the right
to fly over a country’s airspace), and lost revenue from payload that can’t be carried. These
variations are subject to airplane performance, weather, allowed route and altitude structure,
schedule constraints, and operational constraints.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 43

 In summary, the following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:
 Responsible for calculating the operational flight plan (flight path) under consideration of
slots, information by ATC, over-flight rights, weather, costs, and flight time
 Announce operational flight plan to ATC and compute payload and minimum fuel
 Provide flight and navigation information to pilots
 Prepare and provide briefing documents to crew

[Link] Operations Control

Operations Control is a subdomain of the Flight Operations domain.

Ensuring that the aircraft and the pilot are in the right place at the right time, both currently
qualified and serviceable, is what an operations manager does. Multiply that by the number of
flights per day, and that’s what the operations control department does – it keeps the airline
working from moment-to-moment despite disruption by weather and a thousand other possible
occurrences or mishaps.

Taking so-called low cost carriers as (somewhat) simple examples, they can be big (300+
aircraft), but are designed for engineering and operations simplicity. They always aim to run
single-type fleets with the cabin configuration completely standardized, so any aircraft in the
fleet can perform any route, and all flight and cabin crew are type-rated on every aircraft. They
are mainly short-haul, and if there are no mishaps every crew finishes each day going home
rather than to a hotel. The operations departments can be rather small.

On the other hand, the operations staff at a big intercontinental carrier face a far more complex
task. For example, big carriers have to deal with a lot of aircraft with various different basic
types, both short and long-haul, and within those type groups there are multiple cabin
configurations and – sometimes – different engine fits. Just because a route is normally served
by a Boeing 777, if the scheduled one falls out, the operations department has to ensure that a
schedule on which First Class tickets are sold is matched with a four-class configured 777 rather
than a three-class version.

Operations control solves problems. It matches the airline’s assets – human and hardware – to
the promised schedule, come what may. It takes just the smallest twitch of the weather
somewhere in the world, or pilots and cabin crew reporting sick, or an unexpected component
failure on an aircraft, for the carefully choreographed system to start tumbling unless a way can
be found to arrest it.

It’s like juggling, but instead of balls, clubs, rings, etc., the props are aircrafts with their
maintenance schedules, pilots with their rosters, duty time limitations and recurrent training
requirements, cabin crew likewise, airports with curfews, notams and changing weather
forecasts, down-route accommodation for crew, passenger management – especially in the case
of delay or cancellation, onboard medical emergencies, cargo management, aircraft weight and
balance, dispatch coordination, and diversions.

Big, intercontinental carriers have to manage thousands of departures per day around the globe,
carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers. It doesn’t require a lot of imagination to
understand that every decision, action, or inaction of the operations control department has a
serious impact on the overall performance of an airline.

44 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 In summary, the following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:
 Monitor flight plan, identify and evaluate irregularities; i.e., delays caused by ATC or
weather
 Handle irregularities, keeping schedule deviation impact and costs as low as possible and
interfere with flight plan to minimize disruptions (aircraft change, crew recovery)
 Responsible for optimizing fuel usage and coordinating ATC slots with Eurocontrol
 Plan emergency response and carry out the flight and crew dispatch

[Link] Crew Management

Crew Management is a subdomain of the Flight Operations domain.

Crew-related costs are second only to fuel costs, typically accounting for about 10% to 20% of
an airline’s cost base. With such a large amount of money being spent on crew, even small
improvements can result in significant savings. Of the several buckets that make up crew costs,
crew supply chain performance (movement of crew from the upstream manpower planning
process to training, scheduling, and tracking along with its critical interdependencies) is perhaps
the only area which can be significantly optimized without pain. Schedule changes, both
voluntary and involuntary, make the best laid plans go awry, resulting in inefficiencies in the
crew supply chain (a swing from too many crew to too few). This leads to avoidable hidden
costs and revenue leakages.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Define company recruiting standards (soft and hard facts) for cockpit instruction and
ready entries and cabin
 Define marketing for recruiting
 Execute recruiting process
 Derive crew demand from network capacity planning
 Optimize costs for crew with consideration for the overall network in crew-pairing step
 Map actual crews against each pairing in crew-rostering step
 Consider legal restrictions, crew training, and preferences from crew staff
 Ensure crew licensing and provide crew information
 Responsible for crew training management (simulator planning, cabin training,
qualification request management), crew monitoring and tracking, and irregularities
handling (e.g., check of crew duty limitations in terms of legal operation)
 Responsible for communication with crews; e.g., via crew portals and the preparation of
all crew-related dispatch activities

[Link] Flight Support

Flight Support is a subdomain of the Flight Operations domain.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 45

 The major components needing to be coordinated for any given flight include the aircraft and
support equipment, cockpit, and cabin crews (together known as the “flight crew”), maintenance,
and ground service personnel. Although the maintenance and ground crew activities are critical
to support flight operations, the emphasis in this subdomain is on the regulation and scheduling
of the flight crews to conduct a given flight.

In many cases, crew members may have never worked together prior to a particular flight. In
order to maintain a safe, smoothly functioning, and efficient operation, airlines and regulators
have developed very detailed procedures to be executed by crew members that leave very little
room for improvisation. These procedures, including normal, abnormal, and emergency
conditions, are detailed in the crew member’s operating manuals and backed up through a
system of checklists which are cross-checked between flight crew members. It is the
responsibility of the training or flight standards department to establish crew member
proficiency and currency. The Captain, however, is always ultimately responsible for the safe
and efficient conduct of the flight and in extraordinary circumstances may deviate from a
procedure or regulation under his or her command authority (Captain’s Emergency Authority).

The cabin crew is primarily responsible for passenger safety during the flight. Other duties
include providing customer service products (meals, entertainment, etc.) and assistance with
boarding. Flight attendants receive specialized training in aircraft emergencies, evacuation
procedures, medical issues and health hazards, care of special needs passengers, flight
regulations, and meal service. Supporting the passenger onboard is a cabin service that covers in-
flight customer care activities. Since, these activities are covered and appear in-flight, they are
related to (categorized under) the Flight Operations domain. Similarly, such services that are
given on the ground at the airport (including access to lounges, etc.) are handled in the context of
the Ground Operations domain.

Activities before take-off include flight planning, passenger processing, aircraft pre-flight,
fueling, and other required ground processes. The pre-flight activities are orchestrated so as to
achieve an “on-schedule” pushback from the departure gate, although any maintenance and gate
hold issues must also be considered.

While taxiing to the departure runway, the cockpit crew prepares the aircraft for take-off and
updates the take-off performance parameters with actual load data. In addition, any departure
delays, aircraft icing, and environmental conditions such as runway contamination may need to
be addressed.

The take-off is a highly critical maneuver where a number of factors must be taken into
consideration including airport/runway, environmental, and emergency/abnormal contingencies.
Departure from the terminal area, which may include route and speed restrictions, is followed by
the climb to cruise altitude. The optimum cruise altitude is determined by a number of factors
including efficiency, ride comfort, other traffic, and/or airspace limitations. During cruise flight,
the cockpit crew must continually evaluate contingency options in the event of a passenger or
mechanical disruption. In addition, some flight situations require adherence to specialized
procedures including international routing, mountainous terrain, and extended overwater
operations.

During descent, the crew begins preparing the cockpit and cabin for landing. In addition to
conforming to ATC restrictions, the cockpit crew plans the approach to landing which includes
consideration of the destination weather, the approach procedures available, and the equipment
available on the aircraft to safely and legally complete the arrival. Factors include environmental
conditions (visibility, presence of convective weather, runway conditions, etc.), availability of

46 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 approach aids, aircraft mechanical condition, and, if necessary, available fuel for holding. In the
event of an unsuccessful approach, diversion to a more suitable landing point may have to be
considered.

After landing, the aircraft is taxied to the arrival gate while the crew readies the cockpit and
cabin for parking. Once the aircraft is parked, passenger disembarkation is completed as well as
baggage/cargo unloading. The flight crews proceed to the next departure gate, or to the ground
transportation area if their duty day is complete.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Responsible for cockpit and cabin onboard flight preparation, flight operation, and cockpit
and cabin onboard communication
 Signature of the load sheet by the Captain
 Manage onboard flight reporting and onboard passenger support

6.6.2 Business Architecture

Figure 28 depicts the business capabilities grouped by subdomains of the Flight Operations
domain.

Operational Flight Planning Operations Control Flight Support

Calculate Flight Plan Manage Flight Plan Prepare Flight

Distribute Operational
Coordinate Slots Report Flight And Incidents
Flight Plan
Provide Onboard
Provide Crew Briefing Handle Flight Irregularities
Communication

Support Passenger
Provide Payload And Fuel Dispatch Flight And Crew
Onboard

Provide Navigation And

Optimize Fuel Sign Load Sheet
Flight Information

Crew Management

Manage Crew Resources

Communicate With Crew

Figure 28: Business Capability Map of the Flight Operations Domain

Table 7 lists and describes the business capabilities of the Flight Operations domain.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 47

 Table 7: Flight Operations Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Operational Flight Calculate Flight Plan Calculates and optimizes a flight plan for the
Planning airline’s fleets.

Distribute Operational Flight Distributes the operational flight plan to all

Plan required parties (e.g., ATC, crew members, etc.).

Provide Crew Briefing Provides all necessary information required for

the crew for a particular flight in a so-called
briefing package (e.g., flight plan, maps,
manuals, etc.).

Provide Payload And Fuel Provides aircraft payload and fuel load
calculations.

Provide Navigation And Flight Provides navigational and flight-related

Information information (e.g., current weather information,
weather forecast, etc.).

Flight Support Prepare Flight Supporting functionality for pre-flight

preparation (e.g., updating of electronic flight
bag, purser mobile device, checklists etc.)

Report Flight And Incidents Any and all incidents related to a flight have to
be reported. Each incident is rated according its
severity and impact.

Provide Onboard Enable communication between crew members;

Communication especially between flight crew and cabin crew
(especially important during sterile cockpit
periods) .

Support Passenger Onboard Support passengers onboard (e.g., ordering of

meals and beverages, filing complaints, etc.).

Sign Load Sheet Before departure, the cockpit receives the final
load sheet showing critical information like total
weight, weight distribution, total fuel,
information on dangerous goods, etc. Wrong
calculations on this sheet will prevent the aircraft
from achieving the published certified
performance that can lead to catastrophe.
Depending on regulations, the cockpit crew is
required to cross-check the load sheet. The
captain has to document concurrence by signing
the sheet and a copy of the signed sheet will
remain on the ground and has to be retained for a
defined period.

Crew Management Manage Crew Resources Manages crew members and their rosters.

48 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Domain Service Name Objective

Communicate With Crew Provides crew members with all necessary

information in time (e.g., roster, training
information, layover details, changes, etc.).

Operations Control Manage Flight Plan Manage the flight plan as it is being flown and
adapt to changes (e.g., as required by ATC).

Coordinate Slots Monitor and manage available as well as owned

slots; prevent slot loss.

Handle Flight Irregularities React to and recover from disruptions.

Dispatch Flight And Crew Manage the safe and efficient conducting of a
flight from the ground.

Optimize Fuel Optimize the fuel load of an aircraft.

Figure 29 shows the processes and activities of the Operational Flight Planning, Operations
Control, and Crew Management domains. Since these are closely related and interdependent as
well as following a strict timeline, the figure uses the full BPMN™ to show these dependencies
and time restrictions.

The whole process targets the so-called “day of operation”, which is the day a particular flight
takes place. The day of operation is part of the operations control phase, which is a three-day
window starting two days before and including the day of operation. For example, if the day of
operation is September 5, then the time horizon of operations control is September 3, 00:00 UTC
to September 5, 24:00 UTC. The main concerns during this phase are enabling the safe and
efficient conduction of flights as well as keeping changes to schedules to an absolute minimum.

Before the Operations Control phase occurs, the Operational Flight Planning phase starts about
nine weeks before the day of operation and encompasses the time until three days before the day
of operation. The main concerns of this phase are to schedule flights taking all legal and
commercial restrictions into account.

The main objects these processes work with are so-called “rotations” (either aircraft-related or
crew-related). A rotation in this context is a sequence of flight legs that start at a station and end
at that same station; usually, that station has to be a so-called “home base” (i.e., where crew
members or the airline’s aircraft are “at home”) to qualify as rotation start or end.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 49

 Day of Operation

Planning Phase Operations Control Phase

2 days before day of operation up to and including day of operation
9 weeks before day of operation up to and including 3rd day before day of operation

provided at the beginning of every month for the

whole next month; e.g., handover at beginning of Crew Tracking
SEP will contain pairings for OCT

Crew Pairing
Maintenance Yes Pairing
Crew Rotations Change
Crew Roster Schedule
Necessary?
Publication Irregularity
Crew Management

(e.g., Delay,
Crew Crew Disruption
Equipment Change) No
Pairing Rostering Management
8 weeks 4 weeks before published at the end of every month for the whole 2 days 1 day before
before day of operation next month; e.g., publication at end of SEP will before day of operation
day of day of Crew Roster
contain rosters of OCT; any change after
operation operation Administration
publication is published to affected crew
members Crew Member
Irregularity
Crew Rosters (e.g., Sickness)
provided at the middle of every month
for the whole month after the next; e.g.,
handover at mid AUG will contain
schedules for OCT

Aircraft Rotations

provided at the end of every week for

the 4th week following it; e.g., handover changes to Aircraft Rotations continuously provided to
at end of week 33 will contain rotations Crew Pairing/Maintenance processes, possibly resulting Preparing the Day of Operation
for week 37 in changes to Crew Rotations and to Crew Rosters if
applicable

Fuel
Aircraft Rotations Optimization
Aircraft Rotations
Fleet Management

Short-term
Long-term Ops Control Aircraft
Fleet Tail Maintenance Crew Disruption
Maintenance Period Rotation
Assignment Assignment Planning & Convenience Management
Planning Preparation Refinement
Tracking Improvement
9 weeks 4 weeks before 3 days before 2 days 1 day before
before day of operation day of operation before day of operation
day of day of
operation operation
Station Break
Eliminiation

Flight Plan

Disruption Management
Impact
Preditction for
Day of
Operation
Correct?
Proactive Crew Recovery
Irregularity
Yes Handling Crew Rotations
Major Disruption Day of Operation
No
(e.g., Crew Strike, Yes
Extreme Weather)
Ad hoc
No Irregularity
Handling Crew Rosters
Still on day Day of Operation
before the
day of
operation?
Schedule &
Fleet Recovery
Aircraft Rotations

Figure 29: Flight Planning, Crew Management, and Operations Control Processes

The processes, activities, and objects of Figure 29 are described in more detail in Section A.1.

The high-level processes and activities related to the conducting of a flight are shown in Figure
30. This diagram only considers flight crew processes – with the focus being placed on the
cockpit crew (“flight deck”). In general, the main input to many of the processes is checklists
that the crew members need to work through to ensure safe and efficient operation of the
aircraft. Most, if not all, of these checklists don’t need to be kept afterwards.
input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output
Flight Crew
Activities

Terminal
Flight Crew Pre- Gate Terminal Final Landing &
Pre-Flight Taxi-out Take-off Area Climb Cruise Descent Taxi-in Parking Post-Flight
Check-In Departure Departure Area Arrival Approach Rollout
Departure

Briefing Package

Passenger Lists

Checklists

Minimum Equipment List

Configuration Deviation List

ATC Route Clearance

Load Sheet

Load Sheet LMC

Debrief Reports

Figure 30: Flight Crew Activities During a Flight

The processes, activities, and objects of Figure 30 are described in more detail in Section A.2.

50 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.6.3 Data Architecture
Figure 31 illustrates Business Objects and their relationships.
1…n Customer
1…1

resolves to
reported on
n…m

in
consists of Passenger
Debrief
Report Entry
Report

holds
reported on in

Ticket

Flight plan
Briefing is part of
Package

services
Fleet Aircraft Flight Plan Flight Flight Leg Airport

Load Sheet

assigned to
Is considered
in calculation of

Aircraft Crew
Rotation Rotation
consists of

assigned to
home base home base contains ground
of of activities at
Crew
Station
Member

Figure 31: Data Model of the Flight Operations Domain

Figure 31 describes the data entities in the Flight Operations domain. The center of this
architecture is the Flight entity, which is directly related to Flight Leg, Crew Rotation, Flight
Plan, and Ticket. Other important entities within this domain are the Crew Rotation, Aircraft
with the Aircraft Rotation, and the Customer. All business capabilities create information objects
around those entities; i.e., a customer can for instance report an entry which consists of a debrief
report. Information about the station which represents the home base of the aircraft and the crew
member is also described within this Data Architecture.

6.6.4 Application Architecture

Figure 32 shows the mapping of business capabilities to applications.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 51

 Operational Flight Planning Flight Support

Flight Planning Tool Flight Deck Support System Onboard Communication

System

Calculate Flight Plan Provide Payload And Fuel Provide Onboard

Prepare Flight
Communication
Distribute Operational Provide Navigation And
Report Flight And Incidents
Flight Plan Flight Information Cabin Crew Support System
Support Passenger
Provide Crew Briefing Sign Load Sheet
Onboard

Operations Control Crew Management

Operations Control System Slot Manager Crew Management System

Manage Flight Plan Coordinate Slots Manage Crew Resources

Handle Flight Irregularities Communicate With Crew

Optimize Fuel

Dispatch Flight And Crew

Figure 32: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

Figure 32 depicts the mapping of business capabilities to applications. All business capabilities
are managed by seven applications. The Flight Planning Tool is responsible for processes like
crew briefing or calculating the flight plan. Within the subdomain Operations Control there are
two applications, Operations Control System and the Slot Manager. The Crew Management
system manages the crew resources and communications with the whole team. The subdomain
Flight Support has three applications, the Flight Deck Support System, the Onboard
Communication System, and the Cabin Crew Support System.

6.6.5 Technology Architecture

Figure 33 depicts the technology and platforms within the Flight Operations domain.

Figure 33 depicts the Technology Architecture of the Flight Operations domain. All applications
are summarized here. There are four main technology components which comprise all
applications: Operational Flight Planning, Operations Control, Crew Management, and Flight
Support.

52 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Operational Flight Planning

Fleet Assignment & Flight Plan Data Exchange

Optimization Calculation System System (DAS)
System

Operations Control

Operations Control Slot Monitor Pairing Maintenance Crew Assignment Data Exchange
System System System (CAS) System (DAS)

Crew Management Flight Support

Pairing Construction Crew Assignment & Electronic Flight Purser Mobile

& Optimization Roster Optimization Bag Device
System System

Onboard Interphone Aircraft Communications

Addressing and Reporting
System (ACARS)

Figure 33: Technology and Platforms within the Flight Operations Domain

6.7 Marketing & Customer Care

6.7.1 Subdomains
[Link] Loyalty

Loyalty is a subdomain of the Marketing & Customer Care domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Continually develop and manage the existing loyalty program for rewarding loyal
customers
 Manage loyalty partners, which is the basis for a successful loyalty program
 Track customer collection and spend of miles in order to keep track of the customer’s
current mile status
 Based on customer loyalty, manage the corresponding tier levels so that customers will be
matched to the appropriate level

[Link] Feedback & Complaint

Feedback & Complaint is a subdomain of the Marketing & Customer Care domain. It ensures
that service quality is measured and feedback is collected from the customer perspective. It
forms a basis for improving the service quality based on the feedback.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Manage feedback and complaints, including analysis of customer feedback, which is used
as the basis for subsequently optimizing the satisfaction and loyalty of this customer

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 53

  Manage, track, and address claims for compensation, restitution, repayment, or any other
remedy for loss or damage

[Link] Customer Profile Management

Customer Profile Management is a subdomain of the Marketing & Customer Care domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Analyze and monitor the relationship data between the organization and the customer
(B2C) to gain basic insights into customers
 Identify and create customer profiles, and deposit the corresponding values of the
customer
 Track and save customer preferences to the profile
 Save and deposit in the profile both static customer data (address, etc.) and dynamic data
(last ordered product, etc.) as well as other customer profiling functions

[Link] Direct Marketing

Direct Marketing is a subdomain of the Marketing & Customer Care domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Manage, track, and save every advertising, sales promotion, campaign management, and
similar in order to keep every direct marketing activity together
 Out of the customer profiles, generate new personalized offers based on existing data
 Depending on the context of the customer, tailor offers based on the data and values of the
customer
 Enable the customer to personalize offers
 Enable services backing analyses and reports that direct or measure marketing initiatives,
and that measure success of/reaction to sales actions; this comprises a sales cockpit, web
tracking services (measuring/ensuring usability), and information gathered from social
media content

[Link] Customer Communication

Customer Communication is a subdomain of the Marketing & Customer Care domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Responsible for essential standard communications to the customer to be handled
automatically, such as notifications about service fulfillment; e.g., flight status
 Manage social media communication via proactive postings, and reactions to comments
and customer private messages

54 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.7.2 Business Architecture
Figure 34 depicts the business capabilities grouped by subdomains of the Marketing & Customer
Care domain.

Loyalty Feedback & Complaint Customer Profile Management

Manage Customer Maintain Customer Master

Earn Miles
Feedback Data

Maintain Customer
Spend Miles Manage Customer Claims
Preferences

Manage Loyalty Account Manage After Sales Manage Customer Profile

Analyze Customer
Book Awards Manage Customer Surveys
Relationship

Provide Partnership
Accrual

Customer Communication Direct Marketing

Notify Service Disruption Manage Campaigns

Provide Personalized
Notify Service Fulfillment
Offers

Connect Social Media Manage Sales Promotions

Figure 34: Business Capability Map of the Marketing & Customer Care Domain

Table 8: Marketing & Customer Care Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Customer Notify Service Disruption Notifies the customer via various channels such
Communication as email or SMS about irregularities concerning
the booked flight; e.g., delays.

Notify Service Fulfillment Notifies the customer about regular events such
as the completed booking of a flight or check-in
times.

Connect Social Media Manages different social media accounts of the

commercial aviation organization and
communication with the community.

Customer Profile Maintain Customer Master Maintains customer data such as name or birth
Management Data date.

Maintain Customer Handles customer preferences from either

Preferences entered information by the customer or analyzed
customer behavior.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 55

 Domain Service Name Objective

Manage Customer Profile Manages the customer profile and consolidates

all information in one place.

Analyze Customer Analyzes customer behavior towards the

Relationship commercial aviation organization and preferred
bookings.

Direct Marketing Manage Campaigns Project management service for planned,

ongoing, or bygone marketing campaigns.

Provide Personalized Offers Service to examine customer preferences and

provide personalized offers based on preferred
products.

Manage Sales Promotions Project management service for planned,

ongoing, or bygone sales promotions.

Feedback & Manage Customer Feedback Collects all the customer feedbacks and provides
Complaint a place for communication to the customer and
internal actions
Manage Customer Claims Collects all the customer claims and provides a
place for communication to the customer and
internal escalations and reaction plans.
Manage After Sales Manages after sales automated customer
communication.
Manage Customer Survey Manages regular customer surveys to retrieve
customer feedback.

Loyalty Earn Miles A service for crediting miles to a customer for

each booking.

Spend Miles A service for the customer to spent earned miles.

Manage Loyalty Account Tracks customer loyalty and awards it via

(status) upgrades.

Book Awards Awards customer for frequent bookings for the

airline.

Provide Partnership Accrual Analyzes frequent customer bookings and

provides recommendations for partnerships.

56 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 input output input output input output input output input output

Marketing & Customer

Customer Feedback & Customer

Care
Loyalty Direct
Communi- Complaint Profile
Programs Marketing
cations Mgmt. Mgmt.

Social Media Data

Direct Communication Statistics

Customer Feedback

Customer Survey Results

After Sales Guidelines

Summarized Customer Data

Customer Relationships Data

Loyalty Accounts

Marketing Campaigns Data

Direct Marketing Guidelines

Figure 35: Marketing & Customer Care Domain Business Process

The process depicted in Figure 35 shows which information objects are derived from the
Marketing & Customer Care process. Within the first process step all communication channels
are used to reach potential customers. Feedback & Complaints from pre-existing customers are
collected and analyzed to create customer feedback documentation and results for customer
surveys. Product is used to enhance existing customer profiles. One aspect of the customer
profile is loyalty programs where loyalty accounts of customers are managed. From all analytical
reports and marketing campaign data, direct marketing procedures and guidelines are created
and used for further sales activities.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 57

6.7.3 Data Architecture
1…n
1…1
n…m

Marketing
Loyalty Data
Campaigns

Point of Sale Offering

Sales
Service
Channel
services sells
Customer

Air/Ground
Accounts
Products

Market

Figure 36: Data Model of the Marketing & Customer Care Domain

Figure 36 describes the relationship of information objects and entities within the Marketing &
Customer Care domain. All marketing-related information objects and entities are related to
either the Customer or Passenger entity. Certain KPIs and data are collected from the passenger;
i.e., loyalty data, feedback, or complaints. This data is used to create a loyalty data profile and
help develop personalized marketing campaigns which are used to attract more customers.

58 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.7.4 Application Architecture
Customer Communication Customer Profile Management Direct Marketing

Notifying Service Customer Data Manager Marketing Project Manager

Maintain Customer Master

Notify Service Disruption Manage Campaigns
Data

Maintain Customer
Notify Service Fulfillment Manage Sales Promotions
Preferences

Manage Customer Profiles

Social Media Manager Personalized Offer Calculator

Provide Personalized
Connect Social Media Customer Profile Analyzer Offers

Analyze Customer
Relationships

Feedback & Complaint Loyalty

Customer Feedback Miles Calculation Service

Managing Tool
Manage Customer
Earn Miles
Feedback

Manage Customer Claims Spend Miles

Customer Survey Tool Customer Loyalty Manager

Manage Customer Surveys Manage Loyalty Account

Book Awards
After Sales Handler

Provide Partnership
Manage After Sales Accural

Figure 37: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

Figure 37 depicts the mapping of business capabilities to applications. The Customer

Communication domain is composed of the Notifying Service, which informs the customer
about important activities belonging to his bookings, and the Social Media Manager, which
gives employees the ability to manage social media Accounts in one application.

The Customer Profile Management domain has two applications: the Customer Data Manager,
which stores and manages all the data, and the Customer Profile Analyzer, which analyzes
profiles in order to gain more insight.

The Direct Marketing domain consists of the Marketing Project Manager, which keeps track of
every past, current, and future marketing campaign and helps to manage them, and the
Personalized Offer Calculator, which automatically generates offers tailored to a specific
customer.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 59

 The Feedback & Complaint domain consists of the Customer Feedback Managing Tool, which
keeps track of every customer feedback sent to the company and helps to react, the Customer
Survey Tool, which helps to act by asking the customer about specific topics directly, and the
After Sales Handler, which helps to manage communication after a customer purchased services.

The Loyalty domain consists of the Miles Calculation Service and the Customer Loyalty
Manager. The Miles Calculation Service helps to keep track of the miles of a customer – how
much he earns, how much he spends. The Customer Loyalty Manager keeps track of loyal
customers and manages different kinds of rewards for them.

6.7.5 Technology Architecture

Customer Communication Manager

Social Media Campaign Marketing Project Personalized

Manager Management Tool Manager Offer Calculator

Customer Relationship Manager

Customer Data Customer Profile Miles Calculation Customer Loyalty

Manager Analyzer Service Manager

Support Ticket System

Customer Customer Survey After Sales

Feedback Tool Handler
Managing Tool

Figure 38: Technology and Platforms within the Marketing & Customer Care Domain

The Customer Communication Manager includes a Campaign Management Tool for managing
marketing promotions and campaigns. It also includes a Social Media Manager for managing all
types of social media. This tool is concentrated on posts and managing the reaction of posts
while excluding user message handling. The Customer Relationship Manager keeps all the
relevant customer data together, analyzes the stored data of the customer, and provides reports
about customer behavior. It includes a loyalty system which keeps track of customers’ miles as
miles are earned and spent, and calculates the loyalty status of the customer. With this data it
rewards customers due to his loyalty status with various kinds of benefits. The Support Ticket
System is a gateway for a concentrated inbox for various types of communication (including
email, social media, and non-digital), as well as every topic (e.g., complaints). The incoming
messages will be centrally assigned to the responsible agent.

6.8 Cargo
Cargo operations handle items which are carried by an airline, usually by order of a forwarder.
The operations on passengers’ baggage, however, are not seen as cargo handling, but rather as
Ground Operations (see Section 6.4).

60 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.8.1 Subdomains

[Link] Forwarding

Forwarding is a subdomain of the Cargo domain. According to the IATA Cargo iQ Master
Operating Plan, some cargo operations are the responsibility of the forwarder.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Receives shipment and validates security and customs status of a shipment
 Unloads the trucks, screens the shipment, and places freight into a warehouse
 Responsible for the handover of the shipment to the forwarder, which includes verification
of customs release status, handover documents, and preparing shipment for handover

[Link] Carrying

Carrying is a subdomain of the Cargo domain According to the IATA Cargo iQ Master
Operating Plan, these cargo operations are the responsibility of the airline.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Prepares freight for flight plans and flights, and collects freight for flights
 Responsible for departure activities, moving freight from warehouse to park position,
loading it into an aircraft, and resolving all discrepancies between plan and actual load
 Takes care of arriving activities, unloads freight from aircraft, and stores it on destination
 Handles warehouse activities; i.e., the freight in the airline’s warehouse at departure and at
arrival

[Link] Cargo Management

Cargo Management is a subdomain of the Cargo domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Responsible for the strategy components within this domain
 Develops the Cargo domain strategy and develops the products and services which are
needed to perform the tasks
 Manages the cargo network and scheduling relationships

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 61

6.8.2 Business Architecture

Forwarding Carrying

Receive Shipment Prepare Freight For Flight

Handover Shipment Cargo Departure Activities

Cargo Arrival Activities

Cargo Management

Cargo Strategy And Warehouse Activities

Product Development

Cargo Network And

Scheduling

Figure 39: Business Capability Map of the Cargo Domain

Table 9: Cargo Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Forwarding Receive Shipment Unload forwarder’s truck or receive shipment

from another airline, validate status of the
shipment, screen the shipment, store the
shipment in the airline’s warehouse, and confirm
to the forwarder.

Handover Shipment Validate release status of the shipment, handover

documents and shipments to the forwarder, or
redirect it to another airline.

Carrying Prepare Freight For Flight Clears the security of the freight, plans flights,
and collects freight from airline’s warehouse.

Cargo Departure Activities Moves shipment to the parking position, loads

the aircraft, and documents and clears
discrepancies between plan and actual freight.

Cargo Arrival Activities Stores freight at destination and informs the

forwarder.

Warehouse Activities Stores freight, collects freight, and plans

warehouse capacity.

Cargo Management Cargo Strategy And Product Defines the cargo strategy and processes for
Development cargo operations and product development.

62 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Domain Service Name Objective

Cargo Network And Manages the cargo network and partnerships and
Scheduling enables a high quality of service by customizing
the cargo network. Schedules operations
between the parties involved.
Forwarder

Receive Operations
Shipment at Operations
from Shipper origin at
destination
Cargo Ops

MAWB,
HAWB Freight-On-Hand Ready-For-Carriage
Airline

Handover NFD
Warehouse Prepare freight for Departure Flight Manifest Arrival
Receive shipment shipment to
activities flight Activities Activities
forwarder

AWD

Freight-Booking-List ULD Manifest Message

Figure 40: Cargo Domain Business Process

The business process of the Cargo domain is separated in two main pools: airline and forwarder.
The process starts with Receive Shipment from Shipper. The operations are responsible for
enabling the airline to receive the shipment. All warehouse activities and freight preparation for
the flight needs to be done before the departure. The departure activities send the flight manifest
to the next station. After executing the arrival activities, all cargo is shipped to the forwarder.
Finally, all operating cargo arrives at the destination.

6.8.3 Data Architecture

1…n
1…1 Baggage Passenger
n…m

Freight
Document
Unit Load
Freight Flight
Device
Load
Cargo/Mail
Document
carries

Fleet Aircraft

Figure 41: Data Model of the Cargo Domain

Figure 41 depicts the Data Architecture of the Cargo domain. All information objects related to
this domain are included in this representation. Furthermore, Baggage, Unit Load Device,
Aircraft, Freight Document, and Cargo are directly related to the Freight entity. All information
objects which are generated during the execution of the process are included in entities or found
in the Data Architecture shown above.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 63

6.8.4 Application Architecture

Forwarding Carrying

Cargo Forwarding System Cargo Control System

Receive Shipment Prepare Freight For Flight

Handover Shipment Loading Freight

Messaging From/To
Unloading Freight
Forwarder

Tracking And Tracing

Warehouse Management
System

Cargo Management Store Freight

Cargo Management System

Collect Freight
Cargo Strategy & Product
Development
Planning Capacity
Cargo Network &
Scheduling
Warehouse Reporting

Figure 42: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

Figure 42 depicts the mapping of business capabilities to applications. The Forwarding

subdomain is composed of the Cargo Forwarding System application, which is responsible for
tracking and tracing, messaging from and to the forwarder, and the receipt and handover of the
shipment.

The subdomain Carrying has two applications: the Cargo Control System, which plans the
freight and loads/unloads the freight for each flight, and the Warehouse Management System,
which stores and collects the freight, plans the capacity, and is responsible for warehouse
reporting.

The Cargo Management System is responsible for developing the domain’s strategy and
products. The other task within this application is Cargo Network & Scheduling, which manages
the cargo network and partnerships and enables a high quality of service by customizing the
cargo network. One task is scheduling operations between with the parties involved.

64 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.8.5 Technology Architecture

Cloud Enterprise Software Platform or Tracking Platform

Cloud Enterprise Platform

Cargo Forwarding System Cargo Tracking Application

Freight Planning System

Communication & Messaging
Warehouse Management System Platform

TTY ACARS Email

Common Use Passenger Processing
System (CUPPS) Platform ….

Departure Control System

Figure 43: Technology and Platforms within the Cargo Domain

The Technology Architecture represents a general view over all applications used within the
Cargo domain. It contains four main features: the Common Enterprise Software Platform or
Cloud Enterprise Platform, the Communication & Messaging Platform, the Tracking Platform,
and the Common Use Passenger Processing System (CUPPS) Platform.

6.9 Maintenance
6.9.1 Subdomains

[Link] Maintenance & Testing

Maintenance & Testing is the only subdomain of the Maintenance domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Defines the process for overall inspection, repair, overhaul, and maintenance of aircrafts,
machines, and components
 Responsible for managing scheduling for compulsive viewing and maintenance and
operations of compulsory quality assurances
 Maintains products onboard (IFE), on the ground, and the Internet onboard
 Manages scheduling
 Responsible for all product tests

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 65

6.9.2 Business Architecture

Maintenance & Testing

Maintenance Strategy And

Planning

Maintenance Scheduling

Operational Maintenance

Material Logistics

Figure 44: Business Capability Map of the Maintenance Domain

Table 10: Maintenance Domain Business Capabilities

Domain Service Name Objective

Maintenance Maintenance Strategy And Defines and manages all maintenance-related

Planning organizational tasks such as scheduling,
calculating downtime, documentation, and
organization.

Maintenance Scheduling Defines and manages all compulsory quality

assurances and scheduling of maintenance dates.

Operational Maintenance Executes the process for overall inspection,

repair, overhaul, and maintenance of aircrafts,
machines, and components. Furthermore, it is
responsible for planning operational resources
such as skill management.

Material Logistics Defines the process for parts procurement,

logistics of spare parts, and overall material
logistics within the Maintenance process.

66 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 input output input output input output input output input output input output

Maintenance
Gather Data
Maintenance Preventive Compulsory Operational Product
& Calculate
Planning Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Testing
Downtime

Maintenance Strategy & Planning

Documentation
Data and Requirements

Downtime Reports

Preventive Maintenance Schedule

Preventive Maintenance Reports

Compulsory Maintenance Schedules

Compulsory Maintenance Reports

Operational Maintenance Reports

Regulator Requirements

Monthly Product Assurance Report

Product Testing Schedule & Report

Documentation

Figure 45: Maintenance Domain Business Process

The process depicted in Figure 45 shows which information objects are derived from the
Maintenance process. Within the first process step all maintenance-related processes are planned
and documented. Furthermore, data and requirements for different products are collected by the
responsible team. Another essential process within this domain is scheduling all compulsory and
regular tests. All reports are organized and reported to the responsible manager. Also product
testing is done within this domain. Schedules and reports are derived from processes here.
Finally, documentation of the whole process is constantly collected and updated to ensure a high
level of product and service quality.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 67

6.9.3 Data Architecture
1…n
1…1
n…m

Offering

Service

Quality Maintenance/
Air/Ground Reports Testing Data
Products

Figure 46: Data Model of the Maintenance Domain

Figure 46 describes the relation of information objects and entities within the Maintenance
domain. Most information objects within this domain are maintenance schedules and
maintenance or testing reports. All reports are summed up in the Quality Reports entity which is
related to the Testing Data. All schedules for compulsory testing, maintenance documentation,
and testing requirements are included within the Maintenance information object.

6.9.4 Application Architecture

Maintenance

Product Maintenance
Application

Maintenance Strategy And

Planning

Maintenance Scheduling

Operational Maintenance

Material Logistics

Figure 47: Mapping Capabilities to Applications

The Maintenance application has several responsibilities such as monitoring and analytics,
testing, and maintenance. All business capabilities are executed mostly in support of IT systems.
The Maintenance domain comprises one major application which is responsible for planning
capabilities and tracking of all testing relevant data. It also manages the maintenance and
monitoring processes for all products and services, depending on the structure.

68 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

6.9.5 Technology Architecture

Product Maintenance

Analytics Monitoring Testing Maintenance

Figure 48: Technology and Platforms within the Maintenance Domain

6.10 Support
6.10.1 Subdomains
input output input output input output input output input output input output input output input output
Support

Business Contract Marketing,

Data Mgmt. Catering
IT Services HR Finance Process Mgmt. & Sales, &
& Analysis Procurement
Ingration Procurement Quality

Figure 49: Support Domain Business Process

[Link] IT Services

IT Services is a subdomain of the Support domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Manages and controls the airline’s own equipment located at home and at foreign airports
 Provides services for communicating/interacting with external IT services and third-party
services/IT systems that are made available for the airline’s own processes
 Responsible for the management of interfaces to third-party systems; for example,
interfaces to baggage distribution and routing systems of other airlines
 Provides a middleware, messaging Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) and provides an
infrastructure that supports the usual communication patterns: request/response, pub/sub,
etc.
 Provides the enterprise application integration facilities

This subdomain shall be more technically-oriented and therefore shall not implement business
services, but rather basic services used by several other domains. Knowing that the difference
between technical and business services is somehow difficult to determine, Enterprise
Architecture management is a crucial part for each organization.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 69

 User Data Management

Establish central/group-wide data access to customer data: a central user data model and
common storage of user data does not imply sharing of airline-related customers to the group.
Governance of Identity and Access Management (IAM) to common user data storage is a
prerequisite for this concept.

User Data Management aims to derive a high-level target user data model from CUSTIS and
SAMBA,4 gather requirements from airline-individual personalization initiatives, and use
existing customer data where available. It recognizes personalization initiatives supporting the
idea of customer centricity – personalization depends, simply spoken, on the available
information in a specific context (service). A common user data model should include all
information which will be useful for providing personalized services.

[Link] HR

HR is a subdomain of the Support domain.

HR as a cross-sectional subdomain is primarily concerned with the management of people

within organizations, focusing on policies and systems. HR departments and units in
organizations typically undertake a number of activities, including employee benefits design,
employee recruitment, training and development, performance appraisal, and reward (e.g.,
managing pay and benefit systems). In most organizations off-the-shelf services based on
standard solutions are used. Anyhow, it is possible that HR delivers special services for staff of
airlines for IAM.

[Link] Financial Accounting

Financial Accounting is a subdomain of the Support domain.

Financial Accounting, like HR, is a cross-sectional subdomain and is governed by both local and
international accounting standards and mostly based on standard solutions.

Financial Accounting refers to accounting suppliers and business partners. This comprises
services such as preparing remittance and refunding. The request for a refund includes the details
of what is to be refunded. The details may contain the order ID, document number, and coupon
number(s). In addition to the details of the refunded document(s), the response must contain
accounting information to allow correct processing of the refund; e.g., a settlement authorization
code.

[Link] Data Management & Analysis

Data Management & Analysis is a subdomain of the Support domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provides data warehouse, reporting, dashboard facilities, and tools to enable BI; it will be
used for the following, for example:

4
CUSTIS is the customer data warehouse of [Link]. It also has a front-end application, the SWISS Customer Portal (SCP).
SAMBA is a central system of Lufthansa for loyalty management and is based on the Loyalty Management Suite (LMS) standard
solution from Loyalty Partner Solutions ([Link]/en/press/releases/detail/loyalty-partner-solutions-lps-is-new-miles-
more-programme-operator).

70 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 — Reporting of operational data for quality management and provider Service-Level
Agreement (SLA) monitoring
— Reporting of operational data due to legal requirements
— Duty report management
— Analysis of operational flight data for safety management and fuel optimization
— Collection and reporting of operational (flight) data due to legal requirements

[Link] Business Process Support

Business Process Support is a subdomain of the Support domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Provides and manages reference data and supports the business processes

[Link] Contract Management & Procurement

Contract Management & Procurement is a subdomain of the Support domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Administers the airline’s contracts with its vendors; this comprises contract creation,
negotiation, adherence, and the definition of SLAs and KPIs for managing the day-to-day
performance of the vendor
 Manages changes that may be required as the relationship changes and problems arise,
documents changes that may have been agreed, and analyzes the benefits that accrue or
may be available from the contract

The procurement refers, for example, to fuel for the aircraft, equipment, and required third-party
services. Here, procurement guidelines are set, which describe the rules for procurement, such as
target, statement of validity, fundamentals, and the ethics of procurement including interest,
confidentiality, and fairness and competition compliance. Procurement includes supplier
management as well.

Within the procurement process, sources of supply are investigated, price quotations obtained,
negotiations with suppliers on price and delivery performed, contracts prepared (which is part of
contract management), documentation, insurance and shipping arranged, and installation and
commissioning of procured equipment monitored.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) provides the ICAO/TCB Procurement
Procedures and Mechanisms, which is a detailed standard for contract management and
procurement in the commercial aviation industry.

The following procurement services (named by ICAO) belong to the Contract Management &
Procurement domain:
 Identification of supply sources on a worldwide basis
 Call for tenders
 Commercial evaluation of tenders

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 71

  Commercial contract negotiations
 Drafting and award of purchase order/contract documentation
 Commercial administration of purchase order/contract

These include the following technical services:

 Preparation of detailed technical specifications
 Preparation of technical tender documentation
 Technical evaluation of tenders
 Technical contract negotiations
 Drafting of technical component of purchase order/contract document
 Review of system design document
 Site and equipment inspections
 Acceptance and commissioning activities, etc.

[Link] Catering Procurement

Catering Procurement is a subdomain of the Support domain.

Catering Procurement is to be considered as a concretization (special case) of the procurement

described by the Contract Management & Procurement process. The subject of concretization is
catering as a special product/service to be procured.

[Link] Marketing, Sales, & Quality

Marketing, Sales, and Quality is a subdomain of the Support domain.

The following tasks are within the scope of this subdomain:

 Enables services backing analyses and reports that direct or measure marketing initiatives,
and that measure success of/reaction to sales actions; this comprises a sales cockpit, web
tracking services (measuring/ensuring usability), and information gathered from social
media content

72 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

7 Overall Structure

Figure 50 shows the overall structure of the reference architecture.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 73

74
Product Sales Network & Fleet Planninig Ground Operations Revenue Management & Pricing Flight Operations Marketing & Customer Care Cargo Maintenance

Product Management & Design Inventory Management Network & Fleet Planning Load Planning Passenger Check-In Pricing Operational Flight Planning Customer Communication Loyalty Forwarding Maintenance

Product Management Application Inventory Management System Fleet Management Load Planning Tool Passenger & Baggage Processing Central Fare Solution (CFS) Flight Planning Tool Notifying Service Miles Calculation Service Cargo Forwarding System Product Maintenance Application
Application/Depature Control
System
Quotes Fares Calculate Flight Plan Notify Service Disruption Earn Miles
Manage Air/Ground Products Manage Seat Inventory Assign Fleet Control Load Process Recieve Shipment Maintenance Planning

Check In Passenger Distribute Operational Flight Notify Service Fulfillment Spend Miles
Define Product Strategy Manage Wait Lists Plan Load Process Calculate Prices Plan
Manage Fleet Size Handover Shipment Product/Service Testing

Board Passenger Provide Crew Briefing

Manage Customer Distribute Schedule Provide Load Information Social Media Manager Customer Loyalty Manager
Experience Support Aircraft Sourcing Central Fare Solution (CFS) Messaging From/To Forwarder Product/Service Maintenance

Handle Wait List Provide Payload And Fuel Manage Loyalty Account
Manage Corporate Design Manage Flight-related Manage Baggage Loading Connect Social Media
Availability Restrictions Manage Entry Into Service Monitor Competitor Prices Tracking & Tracing Product/Service Monitoring

Accept Baggage Provide Navigation And Book Awards

Manage Baggage Unloading Flight Information
Media System Publishing Carying
Direct Sales Channel & Shopping Forecast & Optimization Feedback & Complaint
Check Travel Documents Provide Partnership Accural
Manage Ancillary Services Direct Sales Platform Report Alliances And Cargo Control System
Statistics Station Management PROS P4/G4 Revenue Operations Control Customer Feedback Managing
Management Tool

Figure 50: Overall Structure

Search And Offer Product Report Joint Venture Airport Management System Operations Control System Recieve Shipment
Statistics Calculate Forecast
Manage Customer Feedback
Provide Airport Infrastructure Manage Flight Plan Handover Shipment
Create Reservation Publish Flight Plan
Optimize Availability
Manage Customer Claims
Manage Airport Information Handle Flight Irregularities Messaging From/To Forwarder
Manage Order
Network Management

Availability Management Optimize Fuel Customer Survey Tool Tracking & Tracing
Manage Booking Manage Ramp Activities
Design Flight Network
Availability Calculator (Real
Manage Ground Handling Time) Dispatch Flight And Crew Manage Customer Surveys
Optimize Flight Network Warehouse Management System
Reservation Ticketing
Seat Availability
Manage Passenger Streams
Model O&D Insights Slot Manager After Sales Handler
Booking System
Store Freight
Manage Availability
Manage Lounges CoordinateSlots Manage After Sales
Search Flight Provide O&D Insights
Collect Freight
Manage Irregularities Manage Influences
On Station
Search Basic Flight Codeshare

Business Architecture
Crew Management Customer Profile Management Planning Capacity
Issue Vouchers
Search Multistop Flight Manage Slots Group Bookings Crew Management System Customer Data Manager
Warehouse Reporting
Group Offer Manager Maintain Customer Master
Search Rebook Flight Manage Codeshares Manage Crew Resources
Ground Staff Management Data

Search Flights Multi PAX

Create Reservation Optimize Schedule Ressource Planning Tool Communicate With Crew Maintain Customer Preferences

Check Seat Availability

Execute Book On Hold Manage Rostering Manage Customer Profile
Partner Management
Flight Support
Search Flight Up 9 PAX
Service List Manage Commercial Partners Plan Staff Disposition
Flight Deck Support System Customer Profile Analyzer

Plan Shifts Group Sales Tool Prepare Flight

Accounting Analyze Customer Relationship
Sales Channel Management

Manage Co-operation Report Flight And Incidents

Sales Management System Group Reservation
Accounting Baggage Management
Direct Marketing
Define Sales Channel Sign Load Sheet
Strategy Baggage Tracking System
Business Intelligence Pricing Module for Group Marketing Project Manager
Reservation
Manage Sales Channel Track Baggage
Analyze Market Data Onboard Communication System
Manage Campaigns

Report Sales Agent Statistics Gather Historical Sales Redirect Baggage

Provide Onboard Manage Sales Promotions
Statistics Communication
Manage Sales Agents
Gather Flight Costs
Cabin Crew Support System Personalized Offer Calculator
Manage Sales Accounts

Support Passenger Onboard Provide Personalized Offers

Product Management & Analytics e-Commerce Web Portal & Shop Accounting System Common Enterprise Software or Communication & Messaging ERP Finance/SAP Platform Operational Flight Planning System Customer Communication Manager Common Use Passenger Processing Product Maintenance System
Platform System Cloud Enterprise Platform Platform System (CUPPS) Platform

Communication Platfrom Flight Scheduling System Business Intelligence System CUPPS Platform Amadeus Availability & Pricing Operations Control Platform Support Ticket System Tracking Platform Product Testing Platform
Platform

Media Monitoring System Customer Relationship Tracking Platform Crew Management Platform Customer Relationship Manager Cloud Enterprise Platform
Management System

Technology Architecture
Flight Support Platform Communication and Messaging
Platform

The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

A Flight Operations Processes, Activities, and Objects

A.1 Flight Planning, Crew Management, and Operations Control

Processes

Fleet Assignment

After structuring and optimizing the flight network, the fleet assignment process is the first flight
schedule implementation phase that applies precise operational rules. The fleet assignment
process starts about nine weeks before the day of operation and provides flight and aircraft
schedules (without specific aircraft relation) considering subfleet and crew aspects.

Crew Pairing

About eight weeks before the day of operation the fleet assignment results are handed over to the
crew pairing process. Because the crew planning department has to publish the crew rosters for a
period of an entire month, the fleet assignments have to be provided by the middle of every
month for the whole month after the next. For example, the fleet assignment handover by mid-
August must contain the whole month of October.

The pairing process “pairs” aircraft with matching crews considering crew capacity and
qualifications at all of the airline’s stations. Actual crew members are not taken into
consideration.

Crew Rostering

At least four weeks before the day of operation the crew pairing results are given to the crew
rostering process. Because the crew pairings must also be provided for a period of an entire
month, the results are provided by the beginning of every month for the whole next month. For
example, the crew pairing results by beginning of September must contain the whole month of
October.

The crew rostering and publication must be done by the last working day before the end of every
month.

The rostering process assigns actual crew members to the rotations created by the pairing
process, satisfying the rotation’s crew need (also called “crew complement”). Personal
requirements of each crew member (e.g., training, medical examinations, visa applications, etc.)
are taken into consideration as well.

Tail Assignment

About three weeks before the day of operation the fleet assignment results for an additional
week are handed over to the tail assignment process. As this process is performed every week,
the tail assignment process always receives fleet assignments for the latest appending calendar

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 75

 week. For example, the fleet assignment handover by calendar week 33 contains the assignments
of calendar week 37.

The tail assignment process assigns the anonymous aircraft schedules to specific aircrafts (so-
called “tails”).

Long-Term Maintenance Planning

Beside flight events, the fleet assignment process also considers the long-term maintenance
requirements and provides aircraft schedules with placeholders for long-term maintenance
events. Within the long-term maintenance planning process the placeholders are assigned to
specific tails requiring long-term maintenance.

Short-Term Maintenance Planning

About three to five days before operation the short-term maintenance events must be planned to
specific tails. All required maintenance events for specific tails are tracked and requested by the
aircraft maintenance department. These requests are created and assigned to the specific tails.

Operations (Ops) Control Period Preparation

On a typical day of operation numerous changes to aircraft rotations have to be applied. These
changes may lead to inconsistent aircraft rotations on transitions to the subsequent days. While
these inconsistencies are maintained within the operations control window, additional
inconsistencies may appear when the three-day operations control window moves to include the
next day.

The main task of operations control period preparation is to minimize station breaks on
transitions to the subsequent day when being added to the operations control period. In other
words, the goal is to balance all station transitions considering crew, aircraft, and passenger-
related aspects.

This task is processed every day during the night shift by the maintenance control department;
e.g., during the night shift just before midnight on August 9th, the transition from August 11th to
12th will be balanced by changing assignments on August 12th.

Crew Tracking

Upon publication, the crew rosters and pairings are handed over to the crew tracking process.
The crew tracking process covers both the crew roster administration and the crew pairing
maintenance processes for the whole current month, including the operations control period.

Crew Pairing Maintenance

The crew pairing maintenance process works on recovering crew pairing issues caused by flight
schedule changes; e.g., equipment changes, aircraft delays.

76 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Crew Roster Administration

While the crew pairing maintenance focuses on repairing anonymous crew rotations, the crew
roster administration process tries to recover crew roster issues caused by crew member
irregularities; e.g., sickness and crew pairing changes caused by crew pairing maintenance.

Aircraft Rotation Refinement

Preparation of the upcoming day starts with the refinement of aircraft rotations. During the late
shift on the day before the day of operation the maintenance control department prepares the
aircraft rotations for the next two days.

The major task at this stage is to reduce crew changes on short-range aircraft for the upcoming
day of operation considering aircraft maintenance aspects. For example, this task is processed on
August 9th to reduce crew changes on August 10th and 11th with the focus placed on August 10th.

Fuel Optimization

Also during the late shift on the day before operation, after refining the aircraft rotations
considering crew changes and maintenance requests, operations controllers apply (long-range)
aircraft changes with regard to fuel performance aspects.

Crew Convenience Improvement

During the night shift, after publishing fuel-related changes, operations controllers improve crew
convenience by reducing the number of necessary crew changes within short-range subfleets for
the day of operation.

Station Break Elimination

Operations controllers usually do schedule changes without generating station breaks within the
given operations control period. There may still be reasons like missing aircraft maintenance
status or high workload on the day of operation that cause station breaks to appear. These
inconsistencies are to be resolved during the night shift.

Disruption Management

Disruptions may be originated by temporary bottlenecks of any involved resources; e.g., fleet,
crew, airport, airspace. In order to increase reliability, the responsible parties are holding
reserve/spare capacities of their allocated resources; e.g., spare aircraft, reserve crew. These
capacities may be utilized in minor operational disruptions. In case of heavy irregularities (e.g.,
heavy weather or crew strikes), internal or external resource capacities are insufficient which
often results in major operational disruptions.

The challenge of managing major disruptions is both to minimize the impact on passengers
during the irregularity and to go back to normal operation as quickly as possible.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 77

 Proactive Irregularity Handling

If a major operational disruption is predictable on the day before the day of operation (e.g., by
weather forecasts or strike announcements), a crisis management group may decide on a flight
schedule reduction; e.g., cancellation of 25%, 50%, or even 100%.

Usually the implementation of these decisions must be done by the operations control center on
the late noon or evening before the day of operation. The task of handling predictable
irregularities usually focuses on committing the right cancellations considering all passenger,
crew, and fleet aspects during the irregularity and in the aftermath. For passenger and crew
notification reasons solutions must be implemented within a short period of time.

Ad Hoc Irregularity Handling

If a major disruption had not been predictable before the day of operation or the impact had been
underestimated, irregularities must be holistically evaluated and resolved in a very short period
of time. The main task of handling major disruptions with small preparation time is to reassess
the situation at hand and to implement solutions considering the necessary recovery.

Schedule and Fleet Recovery

The central visualization of flight operations at operations control centers combines the
scheduled flights and their assigned tails. This means that irregularities are usually resolved from
an aircraft rotation perspective respecting passenger and some less complex crew rotation
aspects. If a recovery solution would have a more complex impact on aircraft maintenance or
crew rotations, collaboration with maintenance and crew control is necessary.

Crew Recovery

In case of major disruptions crew recovery is mostly subsequently done after schedule and
aircraft recovery. Crew recovery starts with the recovery of crew pairings (crew rotations) which
have to follow the changed aircraft schedules. After changing the crew rotations the crew rosters
also have to be recovered in an additional step.

A.2 Flight Crew Activities During a Flight

Flight Crew Check-In

Once assigned to a flight sequence, crew members are required to sign in at the station flight
operations office (nominally) one hour prior to the departure of the first leg. Crews normally
arrive earlier than one hour in order to accommodate international flight planning,
publication/flight manual updating, or other administrative responsibilities. Once introductions
between crew members are complete, the flight crew begins the planning tasks. In situations
where the time available before departure is minimal, the First Officer may proceed to the
aircraft to begin the pre-flight duties there.

Pre-Flight

During this stage, the flight deck crew receives the so-called briefing package (containing the
flight plan, current weather and fuel information, etc.) and the cabin crew receives the passenger

78 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 lists. This information is either printed out or, if available, electronic devices of the crew are
updated with the information.

The crew must determine the airworthiness of the aircraft and address any open issues before
departure. The term “pre-flight” is typically used to describe the interior and exterior inspections
of the aircraft, but in a general sense can be used to describe any activity involved with preparing
the aircraft for departure. The aircraft inspection is usually divided among the cockpit crew and
includes an exterior walkaround examination, interior cockpit set-up, and systems checks. These
pre-flight inspections are outlined in a checklist.

The pre-flight also includes verification that all required manuals and paperwork are onboard
and complete. The aircraft mechanical logbook serves as a means for flight and cabin crews to
convey mechanical discrepancies to station maintenance personnel and subsequent flight crews.
Any discrepancy entered into the logbook must be balanced with an entry by a certified aircraft
mechanic who either resolves the problem or defers it according to specified guidelines. Some
items can be deferred based on time (hours of flight, or days/weeks), type of maintenance
available, or whether they are listed in the Minimum Equipment List (MEL). The MEL identifies
the components which may be inoperative on a given aircraft while still maintaining legality for
dispatch as well as the deferral rules. Crew responses associated with MEL items range from
simple awareness to complex critical procedural changes.

The Configuration Deviation List (CDL) is similar to the MEL, but references airframe
components that are more structural in nature (e.g., missing flap track fairing).

Modern aircraft have extensive autoflight capabilities that allow many of the navigation and
performance optimization tasks to be handled automatically if desired. Autoflight initialization
and Flight Management System (FMS) programming are conducted during the pre-flight phase.

Some airlines have information systems which allow information required to initialize the
autoflight systems to be uploaded automatically via an ACARS datalink unit. In general, the use
of ACARS by air carriers satisfies the requirement that their aircraft are continuously able to be
contacted by dispatch during the entire flight. Initialization of this system is also part of the
cockpit set-up procedures.

Communication between the cockpit and cabin crew members is critical to the safety and
efficiency of the flight. At some point during or before pre-flight activities and passenger
boarding, the Captain conducts a briefing with the Purser or senior “#1” flight attendant. This
includes standard information covering en route flight time and destination weather, as well as
taxi-out time (in the case of a short taxi, the flight attendants must start the safety
video/demonstration as early as practicable), security issues and alerts, ride conditions and
turbulence, inoperative cabin components, requirement of overwater flight passenger life vest
demonstrations, augmented crew, crew meal service, and any other relevant safety or operational
issues. The Captain may also discuss adherence to the sterile cockpit period in which access to
the flight deck is limited to reduce distractions during critical flight phases, nominally anytime
the aircraft is below 10,000 feet above Mean Sea Level (MSL).

Pre-Departure

As the scheduled departure time approaches, the Captain, lead gate agent, and ground crew chief
coordinate their efforts to see that all pre-departure requirements are met. The pilots finalize the
FMS and autoflight parameters by obtaining an update on weather conditions and runway
utilization through the Airport Terminal Information Service. In addition, the crew must receive

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 79

 confirmation of the flight’s routing from ATC. Prior to the scheduled departure (usually at least
a few hours before), the airline’s dispatch office files a requested routing based on their flight
plan optimization with ATC. Approximately 20 minutes prior to departure, the ATC route
clearance is requested, preferably through an ACARS function. The ATC route clearance
received by the crew may differ from the filed routing and the changes must be addressed
(fuel/performance/dispatch considerations) and reprogrammed. In addition to possible routing
changes, ATC may also adjust the planned departure time as a result of current airspace
dynamics or weather conditions.

Latest at this stage, the cockpit will receive a signed load sheet from the loading agent. This
typically includes finalized aircraft and fuel weights, stabilizer trim settings, center of gravity
data, passenger count, cargo loading, and live animal and security information. The First Officer
uses the updated information to calculate finalized take-off performance data. The First Officer
will also reset the stabilizer trim and set take-off reference speeds. In cases where the load sheet
weights are greater than planned, adjustments may have to be made to the flap and/or power
settings, or an alternate runway may be required. The load sheet is a critical document, because
errors on it can have catastrophic consequences (e.g., plane crash due to wrong trimmings).
Therefore, in many countries, the crew is obliged to cross-check the calculations for gross errors
and, depending on regulations, the Captain has to indicate concurrence with the figures by
signing the load sheet. Often, copies of the signed load sheet are taken by various parties (e.g.,
load agent, airline, etc.) and kept for a defined period of time.

Once clearance is received, the crew can perform the “Before Starting Engines” checklist. At
approximately 10 minutes prior to departure, the Captain turns on the Fasten Seat Belt sign
which signals the Flight Attendants to ready the cabin for departure and deliver the requisite PA
announcements.

In order to prepare the aircraft for movement, the ground crew completes the baggage and cargo
loading, including late bags, and closes the cargo doors. If necessary, any required external
power or air is removed from the aircraft, unless required for engine start. The tug is connected
to the aircraft via a towbar unless a “powerback” is planned. The flight deck crew performs the
“just prior to pushback” portion of the checklist which includes, among other things,
confirmation that all the doors are closed and that the anti-collision (red flashing) beacon is
operating. At this time the flight attendants arm the escape slide mechanism of the entry doors in
case a ground evacuation becomes necessary. When the checks are complete and the aircraft is
ready for gate departure, the ground crew becomes the pushback crew.

Gate Departure

Once the agent moves the jetbridge out of the way, the pushback crew advises the cockpit that
the wheel chocks are removed and that it is safe to release the parking brake. The Captain
acknowledges release of the parking brake and signals the First Officer to call ramp control (or
ATC, depending on local requirements) for pushback clearance. Usually, the cockpit crew is
advised by the pushback crew that the area is clear for engine start.

Under certain weather conditions, ice or frost may be present on the airframe or airfoil surfaces
which require removal before take-off. In situations where de-icing or anti-icing is required, the
Captain delays the engine start while the push crew positions the aircraft in a designated de-ice
location. At many airports, secondary de-icing locations are established nearer to the departure
runway in order to keep the time to take-off below the holdover time. The holdover time is the
length of time (in minutes) that the anti-icing fluid is effective and is determined by the flight
crew from tables in their flight manuals. The time may vary according to temperature, type, and

80 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 intensity of precipitation, and type and concentration of fluid used. Once the anti-ice application
is complete, the icing coordinator advises the cockpit crew when the holdover time begins. It is
then the responsibility of the Captain to monitor the holdover time versus take-off time. If the
delay before take-off is too long, the aircraft may have to return to a de-icing location to be re-
treated.

After the engines are started and the towbar is disconnected, the Captain gives the guideman
permission to disconnect the interphone headset. The guideman then steps into a position where
he is visible from the flight deck, shows the nulling pin (used to disable the aircraft’s nosewheel
steering system during pushback), and gives a salute which confirms the ramp area is clear to
taxi. The Captain acknowledges the salute and the First Officer calls for taxi clearance. Once
clearance is received, the Captain begins the taxi-out only after both pilots have visually checked
outside and verbally announced “clear left” and “clear right”.

Taxi-Out

As in the case of pushback, anytime ground movement is initiated, permission must be received
from the controlling authority. At some point before leaving the ramp area, the First Officer
contacts ground control to get taxi clearance to the active runway.

At this stage, any Last Minute Changes (LMC) to the load sheet are received via ACARS or by
radio. These may result in the reprogramming of affected parameters and too high take-off
weight may dictate the request for a special runway which can result in a taxi and/or take-off
delay while ATC works out a modified sequence. Once the load sheet information is processed,
the crew completes the “taxi” and “before take-off” checklists.

At some point, the Captain conducts a take-off briefing which includes which pilot will be
making the take-off, initial heading, altitude and departure procedure requirements, obstacle
clearance and noise abatement issues, airport elevation, and the normal cleanup altitude. In
addition, the briefing must address runway abort considerations, engine out procedures and
associated cleanup altitudes, and emergency contingencies requiring a return to the departure
point or other proximate landing options.

In situations where there will be a long taxi due to numerous departures ahead in sequence for
take-off, it is desirable for the Captain to make a PA announcement informing the passengers
and cabin crew of their best estimate of the length of the delay. This is typically done by
counting the number of aircraft ahead in the take-off queue. If the delay is significant, the airline
may have to be updated via ACARS or radio with a new Estimated Time of Departure (ETD).
As the aircraft approaches the departure end of the runway, the Captain makes a departure PA
announcement to inform the flight attendants that the take-off is imminent and they should
secure themselves at their stations. The Captain must assure that the passenger briefing has been
completed, which may be a factor in short taxi-out situations.

Take-Off

In order to make most efficient use of runway resources, the local tower controller often issues a
“position and hold” clearance to an aircraft in preparation for final take-off clearance. This
allows the aircraft to taxi into position and hold on the departure runway while waiting for other
traffic, runway restrictions, or an ATC issued departure time. If this hold time is not required or
a departure needs to be expedited, the tower may clear the flight for take-off without holding in
position. At this time the crew makes final checks of the wind/weather and the presence of

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 81

 runway contamination. If the flight is following the departure of a large aircraft, adequate wake
separation requirements must be assured by confirming that an acceptable interval of time has
elapsed before commencing the take-off roll.

Once the take-off clearance is received, the pilots’ roles of Captain/First Officer change to Pilot-
Flying/Pilot Not-Flying (PF/PNF) in order to accomplish the procedures commensurate with
which pilot is flying the leg. At all times, however, the Captain is still Pilot-In-Command (PIC)
and, since he/she remains responsible for the flight, may choose to assume the PF role at his/her
discretion. Certain weather conditions (low visibility) or crew experience levels may dictate that
the Captain remain PF during some or all of the flight.

During the take-off roll, the crew monitors the aircraft centerline tracking, engine parameters,
and conditions both inside and outside of the aircraft. The PNF calls out each V-speed as part of
the normal procedure. Should a critical problem occur before the abort decision speed, V1, the
take-off is rejected and the aircraft is stopped on the runway.

An uneventful take-off is followed by a normal initial climb-out which includes “cleaning up”
the aircraft (gear raised, flaps/slats retracted) while conforming to any noise and/or obstacle
requirements.

Terminal Area Departure

The climb flight profile is determined by both ATC/airspace requirements, and performance
characteristics which may be aircraft-specific. When clear of the immediate airport traffic area,
the aircraft is accelerated to maximum low altitude climb speed unless a restriction has been
issued by ATC. Terminal area airspace may be very complex and certain standard procedures
have been developed for both departing and arriving flights at high-density locations. During
climb-out the flight typically conforms to a standard Departure Procedure (DP).

As the aircraft climbs through approximately 1,500 feet Above Ground Level (AGL), the flight
attendants are notified (by a chime) that they may commence their service duties. When 10,000
feet MSL is reached, the aircraft is accelerated to the optimal climb speed. In addition, the flight
attendants are again chimed to indicate the end of the sterile cockpit period.

Climb

The dynamics of the flight environment, including accommodation of ATC directives, require
the crew to continuously monitor aircraft performance in order to realize the best possible flight
profile. At some point during the climb, the cockpit crew checks the FMS and/or performance
charts to compare the optimal and maximum cruise altitudes with the planned data and desired
cruise Mach. This information is used to coordinate an optimal cruise altitude with ATC. Other
factors include wind data and ride (turbulence) conditions, en route convective weather, MEL
contingencies, traffic-induced speed restrictions, and fuel consumption issues. Winds aloft
notwithstanding, in most cases higher altitudes provide for more efficient engine operation. If
the flight is restricted to a lower altitude due to weather or traffic, the crew must consider the
effects on total fuel burn and reserves. In addition, some aircraft types are more fuel-sensitive to
off-optimal cruise Mach than others, which may also limit the cruise altitude options.

Passenger-related activities during the climb include beginning the meal and/or beverage service,
delivering any marketing PA announcements, and activating any entertainment systems. In
addition, the Captain usually makes a PA describing en route flight time and weather conditions,
points of interest, arrival estimate, destination weather, and, if applicable, any information

82 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 concerning the presence of an augmented crew. Seat belt sign usage is at the Captain’s discretion
and is typically activated in the presence of adverse ride conditions, or at the flight attendants’
request such as during the meal service. The segment of the Captain’s PA which informs the
passengers that “while in their seats they are to keep their seatbelts fastened” is included by
many airlines as a standard procedure and a mandatory disclaimer.

Cruise

As cruise altitude is reached, the power settings/Mach target are established, and the crews will
report the level to ATC. The crew also performs various administrative duties, including
downlinking any departure delay ACARS codes and recording the engine monitor log (if not
automated).

During cruise, the crew must maintain a time/fuel log in order to compare planned time and fuel
burn performance with the Actual Time of Arrival (ATA) and Fuel On Board (FOB) over each
flight plan waypoint. The baseline departure time and take-off FOB is used to generate the
ETA/EFOB (Estimated Time of Arrival/Estimated Fuel On Board) log which is usually very
accurate. Consideration must be given by the cockpit crew to the possible causes of any
deviations from the waypoint ETA/EFOB (including fuel imbalance) and the effect on the
destination arrival time and fuel. Potential sources of time/burn variation include winds aloft
greater or less than forecast, cruise speed or altitude different than planned, or mechanical
problems such as a fuel leak. The cockpit crew also continuously evaluate altitude options. As
the aircraft weight decreases due to fuel burn, the optimum cruise altitude typically increases due
to better engine efficiency at higher altitudes. Available altitude options may be limited by ATC.

On international flights, transitioning through airspace boundaries under the jurisdiction of other
national sovereignties may require supplementary procedures to address local restrictions. These
Flight Information Region (FIR) boundaries normally require advance notification via the flight
planning process (filed flight plan), and preliminary contact by the aircraft as the flight
approaches the boundary. Generally, separate ATC clearances must be issued at each boundary
crossing, including entering the oceanic airspace. Before entering such airspace, it is the
responsibility of the crew to familiarize themselves with any specific procedural requirements
including position reporting, use of datalink, radio communications, and any other airspeed or
operational limitations (holding speeds, speed limit below a given altitude, etc.).

The need to deviate from the desired track due to adverse weather is always a possibility. The
nature of hazardous weather en route varies with the geographical region (e.g., transcontinental,
Caribbean, North Atlantic, etc.) as well as the type of aircraft and the equipment onboard. The
procedures and available options for coping with adverse weather are also airspace-dependent.

As in other phases of flight, the crew must be constantly prepared for the possibility of
contingencies requiring diversion of the aircraft to an en route alternate airport. In addition to the
possible closure of the destination airport (due to weather, power outages, or other field
situations), reasons for diverting include medical emergencies (sick passengers/crew), aircraft
equipment problems, terrorist activities in-flight, unacceptable holding times, fuel diversion due
to wind, or traffic delays. The decision to divert usually includes input from dispatch and must
include a clearance from the controller – unless the Captain declares an emergency. If the
situation warrants the declaration of an emergency, the flight is given priority handling en route,
and the necessary ground and rescue services are assembled to meet the aircraft upon arrival.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 83

 Descent

The descent profile is determined by both ATC limitations and optimal aircraft performance. An
aircraft operating at typical cruise altitudes (31,000 to 41,000 feet) will nominally initiate the
descent at 100 to 130 nautical miles from the destination airport. The distance varies primarily
due to ATC restrictions/procedures, but also may be influenced by equipment type and
environmental conditions such as winds aloft and turbulence. The initial descent takes place with
about 30 to 40 minutes remaining in the flight, at which time the crew begins their approach and
landing preparations. An “In Range” message is often transmitted to the destination station either
through ACARS or by VHF radio. This message includes the latest touchdown estimate, special
passenger requests (wheelchairs/connections), and if not already transmitted, any maintenance
discrepancies. The station transmits or uplinks the arrival gate assignment, ground power unit
status, and any other relevant status message such as a “tow-in only” requirement for the
assigned gate.

During the descent, ATC may issue crossing restrictions which can be part of a published
standard arrival procedure or as a response to a traffic sequencing requirement. If the clearance
is not issued as an immediate descent, it is the responsibility of the cockpit crew to determine a
Top Of Descent (TOD) point which satisfies the crossing restriction.

Ride conditions notwithstanding, it is desirable from an efficiency standpoint to delay the

descent as long as possible, then descend at or near engine idle at an optimum speed and meet
the restriction within a few miles before the fix to give a margin to ensure the restriction is met.
Factors which must be taken into consideration during descent planning include wind direction
and intensity for the relevant altitudes, possibility of speed restrictions if not already assigned,
high barometric local pressure at the transition level, and turbulence.

The FMS is the primary resource available to the crew for descent planning as restrictions can be
programmed directly and a profile calculated. There are other ad hoc methods for determining
the distance required to lose a given amount of altitude. The “3 to 1” rule is still used by most
pilots to back up the FMS solution in which three miles are required for every 1,000 feet of
altitude loss; e.g., 30,000 feet would require 90 miles. Adjustments are then made to
accommodate headwinds/tailwinds and anticipated speed restrictions.

Destination weather and the expected approach/runway procedures are major considerations in
planning the arrival. The primary source of this information is the Automatic Terminal
Information Service (ATIS), although holding delays, weather conditions, and runway
operations may be passed along via ATC and/or dispatch. The ATIS provides the current
weather, instrument approach procedures in use, and active runways, as well as details
concerning runway and taxiway closures, windshear reports, precise visibility values for
individual runways, braking capability, bird activity, temporary obstructions (e.g., construction),
land and hold short operations utilization, and any other relevant safety-related information.

Once the crew have received the destination weather and approach information, they begin
setting up the navigation equipment for the expected arrival procedure. Of primary concern are
the current weather conditions versus the available approach procedures. Low ceilings and
visibility mandate specialized procedures which in turn require specific navigation equipment
necessary for executing the approaches. If the current weather is below the minimums available
for the procedure in use, or the necessary equipment is unavailable or inoperative, the crew must
consider other options which include holding (if weather improvement is anticipated) or
diverting to an alternate airport. Either course of action requires coordination with ATC and the
airline’s dispatch office.

84 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 After the crew has programmed the navigation systems and FMS for the anticipated procedure,
the PF briefs the approach, using the published approach procedure as a reference. Some low
visibility weather situations may mandate that the Captain always perform the PF duties to meet
standardization requirements during critical low visibility operations. In addition to designating
the PF, the approach briefing includes information about the required navaids, key segment and
crossing altitudes, approach minimums versus current weather, obstacles and terrain awareness,
and the missed approach procedure.

The cabin crew activities during the descent include preparing the cabin and galleys for landing,
forwarding connecting gate information to the passengers, completing customs-related
documents, forwarding any cabin-related discrepancies to the cockpit, and verifying that seatbelt
compliance requirements are satisfied. The Captain’s descent PA announcement usually includes
updates of arrival estimates and weather conditions. Any anticipated adverse weather or delays
are usually briefed to both cabin crew and passengers.

As the aircraft descends below the transition level, the PNF works on completing the descent
checklist which includes monitoring the pressurization, correcting any accumulated fuel
imbalance, and calculating and/or reviewing landing data (approach speeds, runway limits).
While passing through 10,000 feet, the Captain alerts the cabin crew (by chime or PA) that the
sterile cockpit period is in effect and that the final cabin preparations for landing should be
completed.

Terminal Area Arrival

Terminal area maneuvering generally begins when the aircraft descends below 10,000 feet about
30 to 40 miles from the destination airport. At this point the flight path is defined by the vectors
from ATC. Radar vectors consist of heading directives issued to the pilots and are used by ATC
for the sequencing and/or spacing of air traffic. In non-radar environments, the flight is operated
along established airways or feeder routes to an initial approach point defined by the approach
procedure in use. In either case, the crew must keep a vigilant traffic watch and maintain terrain
awareness (using electronic aids, charts, visual, etc.) especially in mountainous areas and/or
areas of high traffic congestion

As the flight nears the position where it will commence the approach, the crew may be issued
with additional real-time landing information or instructions. Braking action reports are given by
previous arrivals and include a qualitative ranking of the braking effectiveness during rollout
after touchdown. Certain braking action conditions may require the utilization of specified
onboard systems such as autobrakes and/or autospoilers, or may dictate that the flight enter
holding until the runway condition can be improved through plowing or chemical treatment. In
low visibility conditions, real-time Runway Visual Range (RVR) reports are issued to the
arriving flights for the purpose of determining approach legality, or applying other operating
restrictions to the flight (e.g., crosswind limitations, autoland requirements, etc.). Microburst
alerts and airspeed loss/gain reports from prior arrivals are also passed on to the crew.
Adjustments may have to be made to reference landing speeds to operate under such conditions.
In many cases, the flight will have to enter holding to wait out low visibility, poor braking, or
windshear/microburst conditions.

Final Approach

The aircraft operated by most air carriers are usually equipped to satisfy the navigation
requirements of a variety of approach procedures. Precision approaches include Global

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 85

 Positioning System (GPS) autoland, GPS LNAV/VNAV, and Category (CAT) I, II, and III
Instrument Landing System (ILS) approaches. Many runways at larger airports utilize the ILS to
provide guidance to pilots during instrument conditions along a well-defined path made up of
lateral and vertical elements called the localizer and glide slope, respectively.

A non-precision approach is a procedure where lateral track information is provided by a local

navigation aid (navaid) or satellite, but vertical guidance is received through barometric
referencing or other means not directly associated with the specific runway. As expected,
precision approaches provide for operations in much lower ceiling and visibility conditions.

When very low visibility conditions exist, CAT III approaches are mandated which require
autoland or Heads Up Display (HUD) guidance. Arrival delays should be anticipated during
these operations due to limited spacing and runway options. When Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
conditions exist, pilots are encouraged to use all available navaids as a back-up even during
visual approaches. In addition, many airfields employ instrument procedures during VFR
conditions in order to manage aircraft sequencing or noise restrictions.

At some point during the vectoring or feeder segment, the flight will be “cleared for the
approach”. An approach clearance by ATC authorizes the crew to execute the procedures for
landing. As mentioned earlier, it is the cockpit crew’s responsibility to determine approach
legality. The current weather conditions must be compared to the procedures and equipment
available, both ground-based and airborne. Downgrades in onboard automation or displays may
dictate higher landing minimums and/or unavailability of certain procedures. Likewise, the
inoperative status of any ground components may result in additional landing restrictions. An
adverse condition of any required approach facilities is usually reported by ATC or the ATIS,
but also may be detected by onboard alerting systems.

Most authorities designate a specific location in the procedure where the current weather must be
at or above weather minimums in order for the aircraft to continue on the approach. If the flight
passes the designated position with reported weather at or above minimums, it may continue to
the missed approach point or decision height, as applicable. If weather conditions are below
minimums at the designated position, the procedure must be aborted and other alternatives
considered; i.e., diversion, holding, etc.

Runway wind conditions must be addressed by the crew during the final approach and landing.
Depending on the wind direction, intensity, and presence of gusts, adjustments may have to be
made resulting in a higher planned approach speed. Maximum crosswind limitations vary among
equipment type and weather conditions.

In the event the requirements for completing the approach and landing are not satisfied, a “go-
around” is executed and a standardized “missed approach procedure” and/or ATC instructions
must be followed. Options available following a missed approach include entering holding to
wait out whatever unacceptable condition resulted in the aborted landing, diverting to an
alternate airport, or, most commonly, accepting ATC vectors to initiate another approach. Many
aborted landings are initiated by ATC or the cockpit crew due to traffic on the runway. In most
cases a prior arrival failed to clear the runway in a timely manner, but a delayed take-off by an
aircraft sitting in position at the threshold can also result in an aborted landing.

If the runway is in-sight and clear when at the decision point, the cockpit crew continues the
descent until initiating the landing “flare” maneuver where the descent rate is reduced just before
touchdown.

86 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Landing and Rollout

After touching down on the runway, the PF uses reverse thrust, ground spoilers, and wheel
braking to decelerate to taxi-speed and vacate the runway. As the aircraft slows to turnoff speed,
the Captain and First Officer assume the taxi and communications tasks as per normal ground
operations. Once clear of the runway, the crew reports any adverse wind or braking conditions to
the tower (in low visibility conditions the crew may also be required to report clear of the
runway). After exiting the runway, the First Officer contacts ground control for taxi-in
instructions, completes the after landing-taxi checklist, and calls the local ramp control to
confirm the arrival gate assignment and occupancy status.

Taxi-In

The pilots use taxiway charts of the destination airport to assist in the execution of taxi
clearances given to them by ATC. Pilots must be diligent during ground operations at airports
with which they are unfamiliar or that are undergoing construction. Operations during nighttime
or heavy precipitation also require special consideration and may substantially impede the
overall traffic movement on the airfield. At some point during taxi-in the Captain determines the
necessity of starting the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). In the interest of fuel conservation, an
engine may be shut down which may require utilizing the APU, depending on the aircraft type.
Normally the APU is started while the aircraft is a few minutes from the gate area, unless it has
been determined that ground power will be used. In that case, the APU is not started and an
engine is left running after gate arrival until the ground electric is connected by the guide crew.

If the arrival gate is occupied, the aircraft may be required to wait out the delay at a remote
location. Occupied gates are often the result of a delayed departure or other operational issues
with the aircraft currently positioned at the gate and the anticipated delay should be passed on to
ATC and the passengers. Once clearance to the gate is received, the Captain taxis to the ramp
area and visually acquires the marshallers. After the crew confirms the gate area is unobstructed,
the marshallers utilize lighted wands to signal clearance to taxi to the stop point adjacent to the
jetbridge. Often delays are encountered at this point due to the unavailability of the ground crew,
carts, or vehicular traffic in the gate area, or a tow-in requirement for the assigned gate (in which
the aircraft engines are shut down and a tug is used to tow the aircraft onto the gate position).
Some stations utilize automatic parking systems which employ an arrangement of lights and/or
signs that the Captain uses for lead-in line and stopping position guidance. In the absence of self-
guidance, the marshaller uses wand signals to direct and stop the aircraft at the desired location.
Once the brakes are parked, the agent moves the jetbridge into position at the entry door, or in
the case of airstair disembarkation, positions the truck(s) under the appropriate exit door(s).

Parking

In most cases, setting the parking brake and opening a cabin door trigger the “IN” event. The
“IN” time is used to determine a number of metrics including the length of the flight (which is
used to calculate flight crew compensation and legality for subsequent trips), on-time arrival
report card, customs and immigration data, and company-specific performance monitoring and
scheduling adjustments.

Once a source of ground power is connected (APU or external power cable), the engines are shut
down and the crew completes the engine shut-down checklist. The agent verifies the disarming
of the doors with the flight attendants and opens the designated exit door(s) to commence
passenger disembarkation. Usually any wheelchair passengers or unaccompanied minors are

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 87

 accommodated last. After engine shut down, the ground crew begin unloading and processing
the baggage and freight. The flight crew secure the cockpit and cabin before departing the
aircraft. At specified outstations, an exterior post-flight walkaround inspection may be required
which is completed by the cockpit crew before leaving the gate area. Post-flight inspections are
not as thorough as the pre-flight and are usually mandated after the last flight of the day at
stations with limited or contract maintenance. Finally, for international operations, any
customs/immigration requirements may need to be addressed.

Post-Flight

Upon completion of post-flight duties at the aircraft, the cockpit crew accomplish any required
debrief reports while the flight attendants make liquor and duty-free deposits, usually at the
station operations. Debriefs/reports are required by the cockpit crew in instances of a declared
emergency or ATC violation, significant mechanical failures (including engine shut down), fuel
dumping, illness, injury or death of a passenger or crew member, passenger
misconduct/smoking, overweight landing, Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) issues, diversions,
high-speed aborts, lightning strikes, near midair collisions, and a number of other situations
involving non-standard operations or issues. Once all cockpit and cabin obligations are fulfilled,
the crew begins preparations for the next flight leg. In situations where the same aircraft is to be
used, a new flight plan is pulled up and the pre-flight sequence starts all over. In most cases,
however, the crew must change aircraft and relocate to the new departure gate where the
planning/pre-flight duties are repeated. If this is the last flight of the day, the crew is released
from duty and typically proceeds to the crew hotel limo in cases of out-of-base layovers, or the
bus to the employee parking lot if the inbound flight was the last leg of a sequence.

If the aircraft is to be “turned around” for use in a subsequent leg, maintenance personnel will
attempt to meet the flight upon gate arrival. Any discrepancies are discussed with the inbound
flight crew and the necessary repairs are begun as soon as possible. If the discrepancy has been
reported in-flight, the mechanics often meet the aircraft with replacement parts such as Line
Replaceable Units (LRUs) which can often allow repair in the normally-scheduled turnaround
window. If the aircraft is not to be used right away, required maintenance may be performed
during periods of less demand. In situations where the aircraft is finished for the day, it may be
towed or taxied to a remote location, or the hangar, where the requisite maintenance and/or
inspections are completed. In addition to maintenance requirements, other post-flight activity
conducted by ground personnel include aircraft cleaning and de-catering, security checks, and
any required customs inspections. When customs or security inspections are required, delays are
often incurred since the outbound crew cannot access the aircraft until the inspection is
complete. In any event, it is desirable from an efficiency standpoint that ground service activities
associated with the inbound flight such as catering, cleaning, and baggage handling should
dovetail with the departure cycles of subsequent flight legs.

88 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Glossary
Global Distribution System

A reservation tool that travel agents use when making an air, hotel, car, or other travel service
booking.

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 89

 Abbreviations and Acronyms
ACARS Aircraft Communication and Reporting System

ADL Additions and Deletions List

AGL Above Ground Level

AOL Air Operating License

API Application Programming Interface

APU Auxiliary Power Unit

ASR Advance Seat Reservation

ATA Actual Time of Arrival

ATC Air Traffic Control

ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Service

BI Business Intelligence

CDL Configuration Deviation List

CPM Container Pallet Distribution Message

CRS Central Reservation System

CUPPS Common Use Passenger Processing System

CUSS Common Use Self Service

CUTE Common Use Terminal Equipment

DP Departure Procedure

EFOB Estimated Fuel On Board

EIS Entry Into Service

EMD Electronic Miscellaneous Document

ESB Enterprise Service Bus

ETA Estimated Time of Arrival

ETD Estimated Time of Departure

ETL Electronic Ticket List

90 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 FIR Flight Information Region

FMS Flight Management System

FOB Fuel On Board

GDS Global Distribution Systems

GPS Global Positioning System

HAWB House Air Waybill

HAXMAT Hazardous Materials

HUD Heads Up Display

IAM Identity and Access Management

IATA International Air Transport Association

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization

IFE In-Flight Entertainment

ILS Instrument Landing System

KPI Key Performance Indicator

LDM Load Distribution Message

LMC Last Minute Changes

LMS Loyalty Management Suite

LRU Line Replaceable Unit

MAWB Master Air Waybill

MEL Minimum Equipment List

MOP Master Operating Plan

MSL Mean Sea Level

NDC New Distribution Capability

O&D Origin and Destination

OADM Oracle Airline Data Model

OAL Other Airline

PF Pilot-Flying

PIC Pilot-In-Command

PIL Passenger Information List

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 91

 PNF Pilot Not-Flying

PNL Passenger Name List

PSM Passenger Service Message

PTM Passenger Transfer Message

QBG Qurum Business Group

RVR Runway Visual Range

SAMBA Special Advanced Miles & More Business Architecture

SCP SWISS Customer Portal ([Link])

SLA Service-Level Agreement

SPA Special Prorate Agreement

SSR Special Service Request

TOD Top Of Descent

TPM Teletype Passenger Manifest

UCM Unit Load Device Control Message

ULD Unit Load Device

VFR Visual Flight Rules

92 The Open Group Preliminary Standard (2018)

 Index
ACARS ..........................................36 Network & Fleet Planning
BPMN ............................................. 4 Co-operations & Alliances ........... 24
business capability ........................... 4 Fleet Planning .............................. 23
Business Capability Map ................. 6 Network Data Analysis ................ 23
business domain ...........................4, 8 Network Management .................. 23
Business Domain Model ................. 5 Scheduling Codeshare .................. 24
Cargo O&D ............................................... 23
Cargo Management ......................61 PIL.................................................. 31
Carrying .......................................61 Product business domain
Forwarding ...................................61 Product Management & Design ... 12
Data Architecture ............................ 9 Revenue Management & Pricing
EIS ..................................................23 Availability Management............. 36
entities ............................................. 7 Forecast & Optimization .............. 37
Flight Operations Group Bookings ........................... 37
Crew Management .......................45 Pricing .......................................... 37
Flight Support ..............................46 Sales business domain
Operational Flight Planning .........43 Direct Sales Channel &
Operations Control .......................44 Shopping ................................. 17
Ground Operations Inventory Management ................ 16
Airport Infrastructure ...................30 Reservation Ticketing .................. 17
Baggage Management ..................30 Sales Agent Channels .................. 17
Ground Staff Management ...........29 Sales Channel Management ......... 16
Load Planning ..............................30 SSR ................................................ 16
Passenger Check-In ......................29 subdomain ........................................ 4
Station Management ....................28 Support
information objects .......................... 7 Business Process Support ............ 71
Maintenance Catering Procurement .................. 72
Maintenance & Testing ................65 Contract Management &
Marketing & Customer Care Procurement ............................ 71
Customer Communication ...........54 Data Management & Accounting 70
Customer Profile Management.....54 Financial Accounting ................... 70
Direct Marketing ..........................54 HR ................................................ 70
Feedback & Compliant ................53 IT Services ................................... 69
Loyalty .........................................53 Marketing, Sales, & Quality ........ 72
metamodel ....................................... 4 technology components .................... 7

The Open Group Commercial Aviation Reference Architecture 93