I have been trying to set up long haul flights - my problem is that flights longer than 10 hours or so are unable to return same day.
I end up with a mess of flights of irregular schedules and nowhere near the 100%. What I have been trying to do is use three aircraft - each flying leg out and leg back on alternating days. With the third plane doing clean up. But then i have these long gaps of the planes sitting for hours for their return leg.
Am I using too few aircraft? Is there a better strategy for this ?
Any help would be appreciated.
~R~
So I like things nice and neat so try and have the same time every day. So the main technique people use is 7 aircraft, on a 7 day pattern. So AC1 flies to JFK on Monday, and won’t go back til next Monday, AC2 flies to JFK on Tuesday and so on.
The 3 aircraft technique works well with a variety length of routes. So from CDG is a good example:
AC1 = RUN | JFK | RUN | JFK | RUN | JFK | PTP
AC2 = PTP | RUN | JFK | RUN | JFK | RUN | JFK
AC3 = JFK | PTP | PTP | PTP | PTP | PTP | RUN
CDG - RUN = 11:25 flight time, approx 24:20 return
CDG - JFK = 7:15 flight time, approx 16:00 return
CDG - PTP = 8:20 flight time, approx 18:15 return
You can do something similar with 4 aircraft too
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Thank you 
Yes I was trying to get this work with 3 aircraft, but I am seeing that perhaps a 7 aircraft split is probably better.
Thank you for the help
~R~
3 aircraft split works even well if you combine ultra long haul and regular long haul (same day return)
For my two airlines (Brazil and Australia) long haul usually is ultra long haul. I found working with a seven split airplane scheme best. I plan one plane with destinations I want to offer (watch hub waves!) and spread this plane over the rest of the planes, each plane taking a different day of the schedule.