Automatic Cargo Load Planning

The goal of this paper is the development of a new mixed integer linear pro-
gram designed for optimally loading a set of containers and pallets into a compartmentalised
cargo aircraft. It is based on real-world problems submitted by a professional partner. This
model takes into account strict technical and safety constraints. In addition to the standard
goal of optimally positioning the centre of gravity, we also propose a new approach based
on the moment of inertia. This double goal implies an increase in aircraft efficiency and
a decrease in fuel consumption. Cargo loading generally remains a manual, or at best a
computer assisted, and time consuming task. A fully automatic software was developed to
quickly compute optimal solutions. Experimental results show that our approach achieves
better solutions than manual planning, within only a few seconds.