Investigating complexity factors in UK air traffic management

Abstract

As air traffic volume continues to expand, the primary controller task of maintaining aircraft separation becomes more difficult and also more complex. Increased complexity of traffic can result in human performance problems for the controller, and may result in errors, all of which can contribute to incidents wherein there is a loss of separation between aircraft. However, air traffic complexity is not easy to understand or model, with U.K. airspace configurations and traffic patterns differing for each airspace sector, and traffic patterns changing throughout the day. This study, therefore, aimed to determine those factors that increase complexity for the controller. This was achieved by using an expert judgment process, with 4 independent controller groups, to elicit the top 12 factors contributing to complexity. This factor listing was corroborated by analysis of 1 year's sample of U.K. aircraft proximity incident reports.