Decision support for centralizing cargo at a Moroccan airport hub using stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis

The geographical location of Morocco places it at the heart of important sea, air, rail and motorway transport routes between four continents. In this study we evaluate different alternatives to centralize multi-modal cargo at a Moroccan airport hub. The choice depends on different socio-economical criteria, the geographical location, and the environmental impacts. Some of the criteria can be measured quantitatively, while for others only qualitative assessment is feasible. Furthermore, significant uncertainty is present in both the criteria measurements and the preferences. We aided this decision process using Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis (SMAA). SMAA is a method that allows the representation of a mixture of different kinds of uncertain, imprecise and partially missing information in a consistent way. The results indicated that two of the alternatives, Benslimane and Casablanca, were superior. As a result of the analysis, the National Airport Authority of Morocco started negotiations with investors to develop the hub at Benslimane. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.