- following the construction of a flight schedule and its corresponding network, the next step is to assign the right fleet-type to each flight in the schedule
- the task of fleet assignment is to match aircraft-type in the fleet with a particular route in the schedule
- it should be noted that this phase of planning concerns only fleet-type and not a particular aircraft
-fleet assignment should not be confused with flight planning
- fleet planning is a strategies decision normally undertaken when an airline is conceived, and concerns the number and type of aircraft needed for operation
- it entails the process of acquiring the appropriate aircraft-types in order to serve the anticipated markets based on the aircraft's strategic plan