Cooperative Problem-Solving in the Interactions of Airline Dispatchers with the Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center

The activities involved in flight planning for commercial airlines provide a rich context for studying cooperative problem-solving and for exploring the impact of alternative system designs on such cooperation. A case study is presented looking at an important activity within this context: The generation, communication and evaluation of requests for non-preferred routes (submitted by the airlines to the air traffic control system). Factors contributing to the success of this activity are identified and areas for applications of technology to further enhance cooperative performance are described.

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