New Air Traffic Management Concepts Analysis Methodology: Application to a Multi-Sector Planner in US Airspace

Abstract

Several developments in the technologies supporting air traffic management (ATM) such as digital communication and improved positioning accuracy for aircraft, have enabled consideration of new organizational and functional operations. In order that these new organizational and functional operations be properly evaluated, efficient and effective methods need to be developed in support of systematic analysis of the new ways of managing air traffic. This paper provides such an evaluation method using Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) and discusses its application to new controller-team processes. One such consideration of a new controller-team process is a modification of the standard air traffic control team to include a multi-sector planner (MSP) position. This MSP is being investigated in several research and field studies both in Europe and in the US The feasibility and effectiveness of two of these concept variations were investigated in the current study. The experiment consisted of a pair of one-week human-in-the-loop studies in which the two concepts (Multi-D, in which multiple R-sides are supported by a single D side; and Area Flow, in which the MSP manages flow through their target sector by coordinating with adjacent MSPs) were tested separately with two different five-person teams. A baseline condition that assumed traditional radar-data roles but with access to advanced decision support tools was also run. Overall, the data suggest feasibility of both variations in the MSP, and workload was manageable for both MSP operations. However, Area Flow operations were found to be more compatible with advanced air traffic operations concepts and were shown to be more acceptable to the controllers (both Radar and Data functions).