Preparing the ATM workforce for an automated future

The progressive introduction of automation is changing ATM and in particular the way controllers work today. Controllers focused on monitoring and supervising the system, with a minimum of tactical interventions. However, a challenge to automation is keeping the human in the loop, building trust and overcoming the fear of system failure.

AUTOPACE researched the skills and training strategies that would have been necessary to address the challenges associated with automation and to enable controllers to do their job. The project first defined the most likely future operational scenarios in a 2050 time framework for nominal and non-nominal situations. The project then developed a psychological model to better understand how human cognition and automation interact. With that the project was able to define a preliminary safety assessment detailing potential hazards for training strategies refinement.

The results of the project suggest that in the future, air traffic controllers should be offered not just technical training, but also psychological training covering: (a) cognitive training - to boost the use of appropriate cognitive processes to correctly monitor the system and (b) non-cognitive training – such as biofeedback to teach controllers to self-detect when their performance is decreasing and to react as needed.

The results of the AUTOPACE project are ready to be taken further into applied and industrial research.

Benefits

Adapted training, equipping controllers with competences to work in automated environments

Improved efficiency, by offering training of new competences in controlled simulation environments

Enhanced safety