Airport Deicing System Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Location: Western U.S.

Summary: Cardno ENTRIX staff has developed a multi-criteria decision analysis model to evaluate different deicing alternatives for a client at a west coast airport terminal. The model evaluated six alternatives in terms of cost, risk and stakeholder criteria including compliance, cost effectiveness, effect on operations, and stakeholder acceptability (i.e., regulatory, community, airlines). The cost assessment and other criteria factors were evaluated within a Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis framework. The results were evaluated using criteria weights associated with three stakeholder groups. The model identified an alternative acceptable to all three stakeholder groups although it represented an increased expected value cost of nearly $2.5 million dollars over the least cost alternative. The stakeholders were willing to invest the additional funds in order to better satisfy identified criteria and objectives.