Air Traffic Control Work Research Articles

The Effect of High Workload and Organizational Communication on Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Work Engagement at the PERUM LPPNPI Palembang Branch with Interpersonal Conflict as an Intervening Variable

The Effect of High Workload and Organizational Communication on Air Traffic Controller (ATC) Work Engagement at the PERUM LPPNPI Palembang Branch with Interpersonal Conflict as an Intervening Variable

Use of SPO in the work of air traffic controllers in Poland from a work safety perspective

Use of SPO in the work of air traffic controllers in Poland from a work safety perspective

Pengaruh Direct Route terhadap Beban Kerja Pemandu Lalu Lintas Udara di Perum LPPNPI Cabang Pembantu Pangkalan Bun

This study aims to determine how much influence the direct route has on the workload of air traffic guides at Perum LPPNPI Pangkalan Bun Sub Branch.The research was conducted at the Aerodrome Control Tower Unit and Approach Control Unit at Perum LPPNPI Pangkalan Bun Sub-Branch, Central Kalimantan from April to July 2020. The research method used is quantitative research, where direct route is variable x and the workload of air traffic guides. as variable y. The data collection technique was by distributing questionnaires to 15 respondents consisting of all air traffic control personnel at Perum LPPNPI Pangkalan Bun Sub-Branch. The data analysis technique used is tabulating the x and y variables from the obtained questionnaire, followed by the correlation coefficient test and determination. From the calculation results in the discussion of the final project, it is found that there is a strong enough relationship between the effect of direct route on air traffic guidance workload with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.734 and a coefficient of determination (r2) 54%, meaning that the effect of direct route on the load Air traffic control work at Perum LPPNPI Pangkalan Bun Sub Branch is 54% and the rest is determined by other factors.

Air traffic control work system design to improve operator performance with workload approach and safety concept

ATC (Air Traffic Control) is considered one of the most demanding jobs. This profession is considered a job with high mental workload due to its high-stress level and great responsibility. This study designed a suitable work system to improve operator performance by measuring the mental workload and the physical environment using the NASA-TLX method and safety concept by considering variables affecting the operator’s perfor­mance. This study also searched for the impact of mental workload on the work environment, the mental workload on performance, and the work environment on performance. Questionnaires were distributed to operators, and validation and verification tests were carried out using SPSS. At the PLS method's processing stage, the variables used in this study consisted of the dependent (Y) and independent (X) variables. The dependent variables in this study were performance and the physical environment of work of the operator. Meanwhile, the independent variable was mental workload. Based on the mental load calculation, an average WWL (weighted workload) score of 80 to 90 was obtained, and the factors affecting mental workload are performance aspects and mental demand. Based on the results of structural modelling with the PLS method, there was a significant influence between mental workload on the work environment, the mental workload on perfor­mance and the work environment on operator performance. The proposed work system design used an ergonomic approach, safety and regulation of Ministry of Health to get an ergonomic work system, regulate the equal distribution of workloads, create a safe and comfortable working environ­ment, and improve operator performance. The design focused on the ATC tower's workstations and work environments. Supervisor has accepted the design.

Keeping Us Safe in the Sky: Unpacking the Work of Air Traffic Controllers

Keeping Us Safe in the Sky: Unpacking the Work of Air Traffic Controllers

Learning in the air traffic control tower: Stretching co-presence through interdependent sentience

This paper examines the learning and performance of the air traffic control (ATC) work domain. This domain was chosen because it embodies features that represent future work for many other industries (e.g., information service provision mediated by information technologies; a high reliance on communication skills and collaborative work; increasing complexity and intensity of the work activity), within an organisational context undergoing considerable change. In ATC work learning occurs formally as part of accredited training and informally, as part of everyday practice. In this way learning and experience of ATC work shapes – and is shaped by – the way work is organised, which includes the divisions of labour and technological artefacts. ATC work is experienced temporally, complexly, through affect and socially. Controllers learn to use a variety of socio-material resources which include embodiment and artefacts to undertake the work. In so doing the article demonstrates the ways in which learning and performance is not just a cognitive undertaking, but one that draws on embodiment to achieve what here is called “interdependent sentience”. This involves using all their senses to gain an awareness of problems as they emerge to collectively accomplish a seamless air traffic flow in a complex interdependent socio-technical system.

Integrating weather impact in air traffic controller shift scheduling in remote and conventional towers

Weather affects the work of air traffic controllers, however, for staff scheduling in Remote Tower Centers (RTCs) it has not been taken into account. We study the impact of various weather phenomena on air traffic controller (ATCO) taskload through structured interviews with ATCOs. We deduce taskload-driven impact factors and the corresponding thresholds for the intensity of the weather phenomena at several Swedish airports. To account for the uncertainty in the weather prediction, we obtain probabilistic weather data from Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPSs). Then we adjust our prior Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) model for RTC staff scheduling to account for uncertain impactful weather occurrences and yield a distribution for the necessary number of ATCOs for RTC staff scheduling. Our framework can be used for conventional towers as well. We quantify the impact of weather by comparing the number of controllers necessary to operate at five Swedish airports from a remote tower during two example days in 2020, with and without taking weather events into account. In our calculations we use historical weather and flight data to show that ignoring weather impact may lead to significant understaffing at a RTC. • Air traffic controllers’ taskload-driven impact factors deduced. • Mixed Integer Programming model for controllers’ staff scheduling developed. • Sensitivity analysis on the cutoff value for the taskload-driven impact factor performed.

Controller Fatigue State Detection Based on ES-DFNN

The fatiguing work of air traffic controllers inevitably threatens air traffic safety. Determining whether eyes are in an open or closed state is currently the main method for detecting fatigue in air traffic controllers. Here, an eye state recognition model based on deep-fusion neural networks is proposed for determination of the fatigue state of controllers. This method uses transfer learning strategies to pre-train deep neural networks and deep convolutional neural networks and performs network fusion at the decision-making layer. The fused network demonstrated an improved ability to classify the target domain dataset. First, a deep-cascaded neural network algorithm was used to realize face detection and eye positioning. Second, according to the eye selection mechanism, the pictures of the eyes to be tested were cropped and passed into the deep-fusion neural network to determine the eye state. Finally, the PERCLOS indicator was combined to detect the fatigue state of the controller. On the ZJU, CEW and ATCE datasets, the accuracy, F1 score and AUC values of different networks were compared, and, on the ZJU and CEW datasets, the recognition accuracy and AUC values among different methods were evaluated based on a comparative experiment. The experimental results show that the deep-fusion neural network model demonstrated better performance than the other assessed network models. When applied to the controller eye dataset, the recognition accuracy was 98.44%, and the recognition accuracy for the test video was 97.30%.

Implementing a Quantified Occupational Health Sensing Platform in the Aviation Sector: an Exploratory Study in Routine Air Traffic Control Work Shifts.

Occupational stress is a complex process affecting health and performance. Air Traffic Control is a complex and demanding profession. The current study demonstrates the concept of using a biomonitoring wearable platform (BWP), that combines self-report measures with biomarkers, to track stress among Air Traffic Controllers. A wearable ECG device was used to gather continuously medical-grade ECG data along with a mobile app for daily stress perception, symptoms and events annotation. A total of 256 hours of data from 32 routine work shifts and 5 days-off, from 5 ATCs was recorded with 35 tagged events using Heart Rate Variability metrics- AVNN, RMSSD, pNN50 and LF/HF were computed from ECG data and analyzed during a) shifts vs days off; b) events vs non-events and c) before and after working pauses. ATCs showed low levels of chronic stress using self-reports. Results showed that stress symptomatology slightly increase from the beginning to the end of the shift (Md=1 to Md=2; p<0.05). Statistical significant physiological changes were found between shifts and days off for AVNN and LF/HF (p<0.05), showing higher physiological activation during shifts. A significant reduction of physiological arousal was verified after working pauses, particularly for AVNN and LF/HF (p<0.001). Self-reported data also suggests the same trend (p<0.005). Findings reinforced the discriminatory power of AVNN and LF/HF for short-term stress classification using HRV measurements. Results suggest that the rotating working system, with pause/resting periods included, effective acted as a recovery period.Clinical Relevance-Results provide important clues to the impact of stress on health, particularly cardiac reactivity and the identification of stress quantitative biomarkers as diagnostic indicators, providing a more reliable source for stress monitoring than currently behavioral or subjective measures. Findings will help on the design of stress management programs and prevention actions in order to avoid the negative effects of stress.

From Paper Flight Strips to Digital Strip Systems: Changes and Similarities in Air Traffic Control Work Practices

To increase capacity and safety in air traffic control, digital strip systems have superseded paper strips in lower airspace control centers in Europe. Previous ethnographic studies on paper strip systems anticipated a radical change in work practices with digital strip systems, but we are not aware of any studies that evaluated these predictions. We carried out contextual inquiries with controllers and focused on face-to-face and radio communication, interactions with the digital strip system and the workspace in general. In turn, we contribute (1) detailed descriptions of controllers' work practices, such as using tacit information from radio communication and 'standard advocates vs. tinkerers' operation modes, (2) respective implications for design and (3) discuss how the observed work practices are similar or different from the reported practices in the literature of the two preceding decades. Our key insights are, that documentation speed is faster with digital strips, although a high load in the case of radio frequency persists. Controllers retrieve tacit information from the radio communication and combine it with scattered cues from several displays to form empathic decisions that sometimes exceed the standard protocol. We conclude that the role of tacit information holds opportunities for future flight systems and should be considered in a holistic approach to individualized workspaces for controllers.

Workload and Fatigue Assessment on Air Traffic Controller

Workload experienced during certain work periods may cause fatigue. In Air Traffic Control work, a high air traffic rate may increase the workload and fatigue, especially during rush hour and may lead to risky situations. This study intended to estimate the value of the mental workload and fatigue of an Air Traffic Controller (ATCo) in airport X during their work period. The NASA-TLX and Samn Perelli Scale were used to quantify mental workload and fatigue. The questionnaires were distributed to ATCo and 257 questionnaires were obtained. Results showed the value of the mental load at airport X tended to be higher than other airports (average 66.53), especially for mental demand, time pressure, and effort. The value of fatigue before and after work also increased (average 1, 749 to 3, 506) included in the safe category. However, there was no convincing evidence that differences in mental load values affect the value of fatigue. These results indicated that although the workload of ATCO was relatively high, the ATCo in Airport X still can handle it and did not cause excessive fatigue.

A Variation of the ATC Work Shift Scheduling Problem to Deal with Incidents at Airport Control Centers

This paper deals with a variation of the air traffic controller (ATC) work shift scheduling problem focusing on the tactical phase, in which the plan for the day of operations can be modified according to real-time traffic demand or other possible incidents (one or more ATCs become sick and/or there is an increase in unplanned air traffic), which may lead to a new sectorization and a lower number of available ATCs. To deal with these issues, we must reassign the available ATCs to the new sectorization established at the time the incident happens, but also taking into account the work done by the ATCs up to that point. We propose a new methodology consisting of two phases. The goal of the first phase is to build an initial possibly infeasible solution, taking into account the sectors that have been closed or opened in the new sectorization, together with the ATCs available after the incident. In the second phase, we use simulated annealing (SA) and variable neighborhood search (VNS) metaheuristics to derive a feasible solution in which the available ATCs are used and all the ATC labor conditions are met. A weighted additive objective function is used in this phase to account for the feasibility of the solution but also for the number of changes in the control center at the time the incident happens and the similarity of the derived solution with templates usually used by the network manager operations center, a center managing the air traffic flows of an entire network of control centers. The methodology is illustrated by means of seven real instances provided by the Air Traffic Management Research, Development and Innovation Reference Center (CRIDA) experts representing possible incidents that may arise. The solutions derived by SA outperform those reached by VNS in terms of both the number of violated constraints in all seven instances, and solution compactability in six out the seven instances, and both are very similar with regard to the number of control center changes at the time of the incident. Although computation times for VNS are clearly better than for SA, CRIDA experts were satisfied with SA computation times. The solutions reached by SA were preferred.

Operational Feasibility Analysis of the Multimodal Controller Working Position “TriControl”

Current Air Traffic Controller working positions (CWPs) are reaching their capacity owing to increasing levels of air traffic. The multimodal CWP prototype TriControl combines automatic speech recognition, multitouch gestures, and eye-tracking, aiming for more natural and improved human interaction with air traffic control systems. However, the prototype has not yet undergone systematic evaluation with respect to feasibility. This paper evaluates the operational feasibility, focusing on the system usability of the approach CWP TriControl and its fulfillment of operational requirements. Fourteen controllers took part in a simulation study to evaluate the TriControl concept. The active approach controllers among the group of participants served as the main core target subgroup. The ratings of all controllers in the TriControl assessment were, on average, generally in slight agreement, with just a few showing statistical significance. However, the active approach controllers performed better and rated the system much more positively. The active approach controllers were strongly positive regarding the system usability and acceptance of this early-stage prototype. Particularly, ease of use, user-friendliness, and learnability were perceived very positively. Overall, they were also satisfied with the command input procedure, and would use it for their daily work. Thus, the participating controllers encourage further enhancements to be made to TriControl.

Analysis of effectiveness of the program of joined air traffic controlles and pilotes training

Training of cadets-air traffic controllers and cadets-pilots is an integral part of the training, which allows you to form the skills of quick and correct decision-making in different types of situations. For the air traffic controller, these are exercises to solve conflict situations with aircraft in the area of their responsibility, solving problems in normal flight conditions, in unfavorable atmospheric conditions and in the non-routine situations in flight. For the pilots, solutions to the problems are reduced to the rapid decisionmaking on aircraft control in normal flight conditions, adverse atmospheric conditions and non-routine situations in flight. As you know, the work of air traffic controllers is associated with the work of pilots, but training in educational institutions takes place separately, resulting in gaps in knowledge of the specifics of the adjacent specialty, and, eventually, leads to errors. Optimization of the educational process is currently an urgent task. The program of joint training can act as an optimization tool. The program enables you to collaboratively practice the skills of fast decision-making, clearly to learn the specifics of the related specialties that will allow you to create a complete picture of the air situation. The program of joint training implies the joint operational logic simulator that combines two simulators. For the air traffic controller, this is a separate airspace area in the form of a sector, for the pilot it is the cockpit. Thus, the solution to the problems occurs sequentially from the air traffic controller to the pilot and vice versa, and the controller has the ability to observe the algorithm of the pilot's actions, and the pilot is able to monitor the algorithm of the controller's actions.

A Comparative Analysis of Simulated Annealing and Variable Neighborhood Search in the ATCo Work-Shift Scheduling Problem

This paper deals with the air traffic controller (ATCo) work shift scheduling problem. This is a multi-objective optimization problem, as it involves identifying the best possible distribution of ATCo work and rest periods and positions, ATCo workload and control center changes in order to cover an airspace sector configuration, while, at the same time, complying with ATCo working conditions. We propose a three-phase problem-solving methodology based on the variable neighborhood search (VNS) to tackle this problem. The solution structure should resemble the previous template-based solution. Initial infeasible solutions are built using a template-based heuristic in Phase 1. Then, VNS is conducted in Phase 2 in order to arrive at a feasible solution. This constitutes the starting point of a new search process carried out in Phase 3 to derive an optimal solution based on a weighted sum fitness function. We analyzed the performance in the proposed methodology of VNS against simulated annealing, as well as the use of regular expressions compared with the implementation in the code to verify the feasibility of the analyzed solutions, taking into account four representative and complex instances of the problem corresponding to different airspace sectorings.

Applied economics and understanding trends in air transportation policy

This paper examines some of the important trends in economics that influenced the liberalization of aviation markets from the late 1970s, the role that economics has played in the subsequent assessment of the implications of these reforms and more recent policy “tweaking”, and at the possible importance of more recent trends in economic thinking in influencing future policy developments. It primarily highlights the roles played by economic analysis in understanding how markets for airline, airport, and air traffic control work, how many of these features have been quantified, and situations where serious market failures can occur.

Safety of working patterns among UK neuroradiologists: what can we learn from the aviation industry and cognitive science?

As the volume and complexity of imaging in the UK continues to rise, there is pressure on radiologists to spend increasing lengths of time reporting to cope with the growing workload. However, there is limited guidance for radiologists about structuring the working day to strike the necessary balance between achieving satisfactory reporting volume and maintaining quality and safety. We surveyed 86 neuroradiologists (receiving 59 responses), regarding time spent reporting, frequency and duration of work breaks, and break activities. Our results demonstrate that some neuroradiologists report for up to 12 h a day and for 4 h before taking a break. Mean duration of breaks is less than 15 min and these often consist of computer screen-based or cognitively demanding tasks. Many areas of medicine have looked to the aviation industry to develop improvements in safety through regulated, standardised practices. There are parallels between the work of air traffic controllers (ATCs) and radiologists. We review the legislation that controls the working hours of UK ATCs to minimise fatigue-related errors, and its scientific basis. We also consider the vigilance decrement, a concept in cognitive science which describes the reduction in performance with increasing time-on-task. We conclude that, in comparison with ATCs, work patterns among radiologists are poorly standardised and potentially dangerous. Evidence suggests that placing limits on reporting time and minimum break duration, as well as ensuring appropriate break activities, can benefit reporting quality. It is imperative that radiologists and managers heed these lessons, to improve standards and protect patients from error.

Моделі попередження помилок авіадиспетчерів в термінальних диспетчерських районах у умовах невизначеності

Мета: метою цієї статті є дослідження прикладних моделей попередження помилок авіадиспетчерів у термінальних диспетчерських районах в умовах невизначеності. У роботі запропоновано теоретичні основи формального опису подій з безпеки польотів та помилок авіадиспетчерів, пов’язаних із виконанням технологічних операцій в ТМА. Методи дослідження: оптимізація формального опису термінального диспетчерського району, що ґрунтується на моделі управління загрозами та помилками та мережевій моделі потоків повітряного руху в ТМА. Результати: отримано показники, пов’язані з подіями з безпеки польотів у роботі авіадиспетчерів в умовах невизначеності. Запропоновано принципи застосування моделі управління загрозами та помилками та мережевої моделі потоків повітряного руху в ТМА. Обговорення: середовище обробки інформації для попередження помилок авіадиспетчерів, приклади загроз в роботі авіадиспетчерів, які характерні для виконання технологічних операцій в ТМА в умовах невизначеності.

PP.LB01.12] THE FEATURES OF DIURNAL BLOOD PRESSURE PROFILE IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS IN CIVIL AVIATION

Objective: According to the reports of the medical-flight expert commissions, cardiovascular (CV) diseases in aviation personnel have a high prevalence. CV diseases and arterial hypertension are the cause of disqualification or professional disability of the air traffic controllers (ATC) in even greater percentage than among flying personnel. The purpose of our study is to assess the features of diurnal blood pressure (BP) in civilian ATC in the real life. Design and method: The study was conducted in the Moscow Center for Automated Air Traffic Management of Federal State Unitary Enterprise 'State Corporation for Air Traffic Management in the Russian Federation’; 55 ATC are randomly selected men aged between 20 and 55 years. All subjects were performed ABPM (BPLab, ’Petr Telegin’, Russia), holter ECG monitoring, psychological testing. ABPM was conducted during a working shift and a rest time. Part of the ATC were monitored again on the second rest day. Results: During working shifts the increase of average BP in 17 people (30.9%) was found. All the ATC have 24-h systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) of 140.2 ± 8 mmHg and of 82.5 ± 5 mmHg respectively; daytime SBP of 146.8 ± 8 mmHg; daytime DBP of 88.5 ± 6.3 mmHg; nighttime SBP of 131.2 ± 6.4 mmHg and nighttime DBP of 77.0 ± 7 mmHg. Rest time ABPM data were within the normal range: 24-h SBP of 118.2 ± 7.3 mmHg; 24-h DBP of 70.0 ± 6 mmHg; daytime SBP of 127.0 ± 6 mmHg; daytime DBP of 74,2 ± 4,1 mmHg; nighttime SBP of 112.0 ± 4.6 mmHg and nighttime DBP of 66.2 ± 5 mmHg.Conclusions: The diurnal BP profile of ATC can be significantly changed under the influence of external factors, in particular, during stressful situations, which are widely represented in the work of ATC. Possible reasons for the prevalence of CV diseases in the structure of morbidity of ATC may be features of professional activity namely a psychological stress. A high-stress environment affects the haemodynamics, which can be seen in the presented results.

Effort and Collective Creation: Experience in Air Traffic Control Work

How can work also represent a perspective of creation? We start from the hypothesis that air traffic controllers make an effort to cope with very hard work and to develop improvement processes when carrying out the activity, which can be considered creation. Our objective is to analyze the working conditions of air traffic controllers starting from the experience of the controller. There is effort, which is above all both cognitive and physical, of an activity developed with mental representations that cannot always be analyzed by simple observation. This is a reflection based on studies carried out with air traffic controllers since 1997 in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.