Model for Evaluating the Impact of Automation on the Capacity of the Air Traffic Control System

This paper evaluates the impact of the automation on the capacity of air traffic control, and thus the workload of air traffic controllers. The capacity of air traffic control system is defined by the operational units, and is expressed as the maximum number of users (aircraft) that can be accepted and served during a defined period of time under specified conditions. Workload of air traffic controllers is a limiting factor in determining the capacity of the air traffic control system and will remain such in spite of the introduction of automated air traffic control systems. The project of the Single European Sky provides modernization and replacement of existing air traffic control systems that use a system of physical forms to enter data about the flight of aircraft so called strip system. Highly automated air traffic control system does not require a system of physical forms, but the flight data is interactively entered and processed directly in the system by so called stripless system. The purpose of the introduction of automated systems is to increase the capacity of air traffic control systems by reducing controller workload. Using scientific research this paper elaborates the impact of automated systems on the workload of an air traffic controller. Measuring the impact of reducing the workload to increase airspace capacity and then taking these factors into consideration, model of optimal utilization of airspace will be developed. This paper presents review of the preliminary PhD research on influence of automation on air traffic controllers and their workload thus affecting air traffic control system capacity. Paper describes the first step in the evaluation of the introduction of new stripless system in the Croatia Control ltd. as an automation tool that affects the core business of the Air Traffic Control – providing safe and efficient separation of aircraft. The problem that this paper presents is the review of impact of automation on the capacity of the air control traffic system and thus on the workload of air traffic controller.