A Simulation-Based Decision-Support Model for Summer Maintenance Scheduling of Grass-Covered Airport Areas

Summer maintenance of grass-covered airport areas is an important operational task affecting airport safety and availability. In contrast to winter maintenance, systematic decision-support frameworks for summer operations remain limited. This paper presents a simulation-based decision-support model for scheduling the utilization of technical equipment during summer maintenance of grass-covered airport areas. The model incorporates airport geometry, equipment performance characteristics, vegetation height categories, and maintenance priorities defined in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 14. Airport areas are represented using a graph-based structure that accounts for transfer times between maintenance locations. A priority-based sequencing algorithm is applied to determine the maintenance order and estimate the total maintenance time required under varying operational conditions. The model is demonstrated using the parameters of a representative airport, illustrating the influence of vegetation height and equipment type on maintenance duration. By enabling planners to simulate and compare alternative maintenance scenarios, the proposed framework provides a practical decision-support tool for planning and scheduling summer airport maintenance. The proposed approach has the potential to support environmentally responsible airport operations by reducing unnecessary equipment use and minimizing fuel consumption through more efficient maintenance scheduling, though quantitative environmental assessment remains a direction for future research.