Payload Profiles
Payload profiles define statistical distributions that control how passengers, baggage, and cargo are loaded onto flights during dispatch. Rather than using fixed values, each parameter is modeled as a Gaussian (normal) distribution with a mean and standard deviation, producing realistic variation across flights.
Backoffice path: backoffice/payload-profiles
Available to roles: System Administrator, Administrator
How Distributions Work
Every configurable field in a payload profile uses a mean/standard deviation pair. During dispatch, the system samples from these distributions to generate realistic, varied loading for each flight.
- Mean -- the average (center) value
- Stddev (standard deviation) -- controls how much variation occurs around the mean
For example, a passenger load factor with mean 0.82 and stddev 0.10 will produce flights that are typically around 82% full, but with natural variation ranging roughly from 62% to 100%.
All fields are nullable. When a field is left empty, the system uses its built-in default for that parameter.
Field Groups
Passenger Load
| Field | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Pax Load Factor (mean) | Average proportion of seats filled | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
| Pax Load Factor (stddev) | Variation in seat fill rate | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
Baggage Probabilities
These fields control the likelihood that each passenger carries different types of baggage:
| Field | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Carry-on (mean / stddev) | Probability a passenger has a carry-on bag | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
| Gate Check (mean / stddev) | Probability a passenger gate-checks a bag | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
| Checked Bag (mean / stddev) | Probability a passenger has a checked bag | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
| Extra Bag (mean / stddev) | Probability a passenger has an additional checked bag | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
| Special Item (mean / stddev) | Probability a passenger has a special item (e.g., sports equipment, musical instrument) | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
Cargo
| Field | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Cargo Load Factor (mean) | Average proportion of cargo hold capacity used for freight | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
| Cargo Load Factor (stddev) | Variation in freight loading | 0.0 -- 1.0 |
Freight never takes the flight past its load profile's MZFW. If passengers, bags and the sampled freight would exceed it, the freight is scaled down to fit.
Weights
Weight fields define the physical mass of passengers and their items. Unlike load factors and probabilities, these use absolute weight values with a minimum of 0:
| Field | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Pax Weight (mean / stddev) | Individual passenger weight | min: 0 |
| Checked Bag Weight (mean / stddev) | Weight per checked bag | min: 0 |
| Carry-on Weight (mean / stddev) | Weight per carry-on bag | min: 0 |
| Special Item Weight (mean / stddev) | Weight per special item | min: 0 |
Assignment
Payload profiles support polymorphic assignment, meaning a single profile can be attached to different types of entities. This enables very granular control over payload characteristics. A profile can be assigned to:
| Assignment Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Airlines | Applies to all flights operated by the airline |
| Fleets | Applies to all aircraft in the fleet |
| Subfleets | Applies to all aircraft in the subfleet |
| Aircraft | Applies to a specific tail number |
| Airports | Applies to flights departing from or arriving at the airport (with departure/arrival context) |
| Schedules | Applies to a specific scheduled route |
Only active payload profiles are considered. A profile switched off in the backoffice is skipped, and the next most specific active profile applies (or the built-in defaults, when none does).
Practical Examples
This flexible assignment system supports scenarios such as:
- Different passenger weights by region -- Assign heavier average passenger weights to long-haul international routes and lighter weights to regional routes.
- Airport-specific cargo patterns -- A major cargo hub airport might have a higher cargo load factor than a small regional airport.
- Seasonal adjustments -- Assign a high pax load factor profile to schedules operating during peak holiday periods.
- Aircraft-specific overrides -- A specific aircraft configured for charter operations might carry more baggage per passenger than the fleet average.
Usage Tips
- Start with a single profile at the airline level to establish baseline values, then create specialized profiles for specific routes or aircraft as needed.
- Use small standard deviations (e.g.,
0.05) for parameters that should be relatively consistent, and larger values (e.g.,0.15) for parameters with high natural variation. - Leave fields null when you want the system defaults to apply. You only need to populate fields where you want to deviate from the defaults.
- The baggage probability fields are independent -- a single passenger can simultaneously have a carry-on, checked bag, extra bag, and special item if the probabilities align.
- Weight values should reflect realistic averages for your virtual airline's operating region and route network.