Long Term Assignments
Manage staff travel and location assignments across extended periods for operational planning and per diem calculations.
1 What's on this page
The Long Term Assignments page displays a matrix view of staff members and their geographic assignments across airports and countries. It enables schedulers and administrators to track where crew and staff are located over extended periods, manage travel between locations, and calculate total days for per diem and payroll purposes.
Who uses this page
- Schedulers: Plan and manage staff location assignments
- Operations managers: Review staff deployment across bases
- Finance staff: Calculate per diem and travel allowances
- HR personnel: Track staff movements and assignments
Key features
- Matrix view: Staff rows × location columns
- Date filtering: View assignments for specific periods
- Travel tracking: Pre-travel and post-travel legs
- Statistics: Total days, per diem calculations
- Bulk operations: Add assignments for multiple staff
Long term assignments are distinct from daily flight duties and short-term scheduling. They represent where staff are based or stationed for extended operations, training, or project work.
The page automatically calculates assignment durations, travel days, and per diem statistics based on your organisation's configuration and the selected time period.
2 Page layout and controls
The page consists of filter controls at the top, followed by a staff-by-location matrix table.
2.1 Top controls
Search and time preference
2.2 Filter controls
Two filter panels allow you to refine which locations (columns) and which staff (rows) appear in the matrix.
Location (column) filters
Staff (row) filters
3 Understanding the matrix table
The table displays staff members as rows and locations (airports) grouped by country as columns. Each cell shows the assignments for that staff member at that location during the selected period.
3.1 Table columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit | Opens the assignment edit window for that staff member. Only visible if you have edit permissions. |
| Name | Staff member's name. Click the column header to sort alphabetically. |
| Total Days (optional) | Appears when "Show total days" is enabled. Shows unassigned days, assigned days, and per diem statistics across all locations for the selected period. Includes organisation-specific calculations like SARS per diem, company per diem, and paid travel days. |
| Country columns | Each country with assignments appears as a header spanning its airports. |
| Airport code columns | Airport codes (e.g., JNB, CPT) under each country. Cells show assignments at that location including dates, duty codes, and travel icons. |
3.2 Reading assignment cells
Each cell under an airport code displays one or more assignments for that staff member at that location. Assignments are listed chronologically.
Assignment cell components
- Travel icon: A plane icon () appears if travel legs are attached to this assignment. Hovering over the icon shows a popover with travel details including departure/arrival airports and times for pre-travel and post-travel.
- Date range: Start date and end date (or "..." if ongoing). Format: "dd MMM yy" (e.g., "15 Jan 24 - 28 Feb 24").
- Duration (optional): If "Show total days" is enabled, the number of calendar days for this specific assignment appears in parentheses (e.g., "(45d)").
- Duty code badge: A coloured badge showing the duty code (e.g., "TRN", "OPS", "LVE"). Colours are defined per duty type. If no code is assigned, no badge appears.
- Total days summary: When "Show total days" is enabled, a summary line appears above individual assignments showing the total calendar days at this location during the selected period.
4 Primary workflows
4.1 Edit assignments for a single staff member
This workflow opens a detailed window where you can view, add, edit, and remove all assignments for one person.
Steps
- Click the Edit button () in the staff member's row.
- The "Edit Long Term Assignments" window opens, showing a table of all the person's assignments.
- Adjust the display period (optional): Use the period selector at the top to filter which assignments are visible in the table.
- Switch between UTC and Local (optional): Toggle the time preference to work in UTC or local time zones.
- Edit existing assignments: Change airports, start/end dates, duty codes, or travel legs directly in the table rows.
- Add a new assignment: Scroll to the bottom of the table and use the "Add" button (if present) or use the new row at the end to create another assignment.
- Remove assignments: Click the "Remove" button in the row you want to delete. Deleted assignments are removed immediately from the list but not saved until you submit.
- Manage travel legs: Click the pencil icon () in the Travel column to expand travel editing. Add pre-travel (before the assignment) or post-travel (after the assignment) legs. Each leg requires departure/arrival airports and start/end times.
- Submit to save all changes, or Cancel to discard.
Result
Changes are saved to the database. The main table refreshes to show updated assignments. If you changed airports or dates, the column layout may adjust to include new locations.
4.2 Add an assignment for multiple staff
Use this workflow to assign the same location and duty period to several staff members at once. This is efficient for group deployments, training sessions, or base transfers.
Steps
- Click "Add Multi-User Assignment" at the top-right of the page (requires edit permissions).
- The "Add Assignment For Multiple Users" window opens.
- Add staff members: Use the "Add User To List" search box to find and add each person. Selected users appear in a list below.
- Select the airport: Choose the location where these staff will be assigned.
- Set start and end dates: Enter the assignment period in UTC or local time (toggle at the top).
- Choose a duty code (optional): Select the duty type (e.g., Training, Leave, Operations) from the dropdown.
- Add travel legs (optional): Click the pencil icon in the Travel column to define pre-travel or post-travel. All selected staff receive the same travel legs.
- Submit to create the assignments for all selected staff.
Result
A new location assignment is created for each staff member in the list with identical airport, dates, duty code, and travel details. The main table refreshes to display the new assignments.
4.3 Generate an assignments report
Export a PDF report summarising staff long term assignments for the selected period.
Steps
- Apply filters to select the staff and locations you want in the report.
- Click "Assignments Report" at the top-right.
- The Insights window opens with report options.
- Confirm or adjust the period and any additional report settings.
- Generate to create the PDF.
- The PDF downloads automatically or opens in a new tab, depending on your browser.
Result
A formatted PDF document listing staff assignments by location, with dates, duty codes, and statistics. Suitable for management briefings or record-keeping.
4.4 View and manage travel legs
Travel legs represent the journeys staff make before arriving at an assignment location (pre-travel) or when departing after an assignment (post-travel). These are important for per diem calculations and logistics planning.
When to add travel
- Pre-travel: The staff member travels from their previous location or home base to the assignment airport. May include layovers or connecting flights.
- Post-travel: The staff member travels from the assignment airport to their next assignment or home base.
Adding travel legs
- Open the edit window for a staff member or the multi-user assignment window.
- Click the pencil icon () in the "Travel" column for an assignment.
- The row expands to show travel leg fields.
- For each leg, enter:
- Departure airport
- Arrival airport
- Start date/time (departure)
- End date/time (arrival)
- Click the "+" button to add additional legs (for multi-leg journeys).
- Click the pencil icon again to collapse and save the travel details.
Viewing travel in the main table
Assignments with attached travel show a plane icon () in the cell. Hover over the icon to see a popover with travel details including routes and times.
5 Understanding statistics and totals
When "Show total days" is enabled in the staff filter, the table displays statistics columns for each staff member. These calculations support per diem, payroll, and compliance tracking.
| Statistic | What it counts | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Unassigned | Calendar days with no assignments or travel during the selected period. | Identify availability for scheduling. High unassigned days may indicate underutilisation. |
| Assigned | Total calendar days covered by location assignments (excluding travel-only days). | General deployment metric. May show a breakdown by duty type if enabled. |
| SARS per diem (org-specific) | Nights spent outside the staff member's home country, used for tax reporting. | Required for statutory per diem declarations in certain jurisdictions. |
| Company per diem (org-specific) | All assigned calendar days plus qualifying paid travel days, minus excluded duty types. | Company's internal per diem calculation for payroll. |
| S&T per diem (org-specific) | Days from arrival at an assignment location through departure day. | Subsistence and travel allowance calculations. |
| Paid Travel (org-specific) | International travel days that qualify for payment, excluding days already covered by paid duties. | Reimburse staff for travel days that fall outside regular duty periods. |
| Long Layovers (org-specific) | Number of layovers lasting 7 hours or more during travel. | Identify extended layovers that may require hotel accommodation or additional allowances. |
Per-location totals: When "Show total days" is enabled, each airport column also shows a "Total Days (selected period)" summary at the top of each assignment cell, indicating how many calendar days the staff member was assigned at that specific location during the filtered period.
6 Permissions and access
Access to this page and its editing capabilities is controlled by role-based permissions.
| Action | Required permission | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| View the page | Scheduling – View | See the matrix table and all assignments, but no edit buttons. |
| Edit assignments | Scheduling – Edit | Opens edit windows, add/remove assignments, manage travel legs. The "Add Multi-User Assignment" button is visible only with edit permissions. |
| Generate reports | Scheduling – View (minimum) | Assignments Report button is visible to all viewers. Report content reflects accessible staff and locations. |
7 Field and status reference
7.1 Duty codes
Duty codes categorise the type of work or activity during an assignment. Common examples include:
- OPS: Operational duties (default flight operations)
- TRN: Training
- LVE: Leave
- SBY: Standby
- ADM: Administrative duties
Your organisation defines which duty codes are available and their colours in the system. Some duty codes may be excluded from per diem calculations depending on company policy.
7.2 Assignment dates
Start and end date behaviour
- The start of the next assignment or travel leg
- Indefinitely (shown as "..." in the table)
7.3 Travel leg fields
Each travel leg (pre-travel or post-travel) has four required fields:
- Departure airport: Where the leg starts.
- Arrival airport: Where the leg ends.
- Start date/time: Departure time.
- End date/time: Arrival time.
Multiple legs can be chained to represent multi-stop journeys (e.g., home → hub → assignment location). The order is preserved by start date/time. Use the "Refresh Leg Order" button in the edit window if legs appear out of sequence.
8 Troubleshooting and FAQs
8.1 Why don't I see any assignments?
Possible causes:
- No assignments in the selected period: Try expanding the date range or selecting "All" in the period filter.
- Filters too restrictive: Check the location and staff filters. If you've selected specific airports or countries, only staff with assignments at those locations will show.
- Staff have no assignments: Assignments must be added manually. This page doesn't inherit from flight schedules or other modules automatically.
8.2 Why is the Edit button disabled?
The Edit button appears greyed out or shows a "Not Authorised" message if you lack Scheduling – Edit permissions. Contact your administrator to request access if you need to manage assignments.
8.3 Why are my travel legs not showing in the table?
Check the following:
- Did you submit the assignment? Travel legs are only saved when you submit the edit window.
- Are the travel dates within the filtered period? If the travel occurs outside your selected date range, it won't appear in the table view. Adjust the period filter to include the travel dates.
- Is the travel icon visible? Hover over the plane icon () in the assignment cell to see a popover with travel details.
8.4 Why do dates change when I switch between UTC and Local?
Dates are stored in UTC. When you toggle to Local time, the system converts UTC to the airport's local time zone. The displayed time changes, but the underlying UTC moment remains the same. For example, an assignment starting at 08:00 UTC at FAJS (Johannesburg, UTC+2) displays as 10:00 Local.
Tip: Always double-check dates after switching modes to avoid confusion. If an airport's time zone is not configured correctly, conversion may be inaccurate—report this to your administrator.
8.5 How do I delete an assignment?
Open the edit window for the staff member, locate the assignment row, and click the Remove button in that row. The assignment is removed from the list but not deleted from the database until you submit the form. If you cancel instead, the deletion is discarded.