System, method, and computer program product for optimizing cruise altitudes for groups of aircraft

A system for determining cruise altitudes for a plurality of flights, the system comprising:

• a first processing component configured to establish a first set of cruise altitudes for a plurality of flights;
• a second processing component configured to account for weather conditions at the first set of cruise altitudes to establish a second set of cruise altitudes;
• a third processing component configured to account for direction of flight at the second set of cruise altitudes to establish a third set of cruise altitudes, wherein the third processing component establishes the third set of cruise altitudes by:
• assigning to a first flight a higher altitude chosen from an altitude from the second set of cruise altitudes and a performance ceiling of an aircraft assigned to the first flight;
• and
• assigning an adjusted altitude to the first flight when the assigned altitude is not a standard altitude for the direction of flight;
• a fourth processing component configured to determine whether a conflict exists between two or more of the plurality of flights at the third set of cruise altitudes;
• and
• a fifth processing component configured to, when a conflict is detected, resolve the conflict to establish a fourth set of cruise altitudes.

A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computing system, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

• first computer program code means for establishing a first set of cruise altitudes for a plurality of aircraft by assigning each flight in a set of scheduled flights to each flight's own flight level based upon a probable altitude density distribution curve;
• second computer program code means for accounting for weather conditions at the first set of cruise altitudes to establish a second set of cruise altitudes;
• third computer program code means for accounting for direction of flight at the second set of cruise altitudes to establish a third set of cruise altitudes;
• fourth computer program code means for determining whether a conflict exists between two or more of the plurality of flights at the third set of cruise altitudes;
• and
• fifth computer program code means for, when a conflict is detected, resolving the conflict to establish a fourth set of cruise altitudes.