Evaluation of Controller Position Takeover in Team-Based Flight Centric ATM

Abstract

Sectorless air traffic management (or flight-centric ATC as it is known in the SESAR context) is a novel concept that restructures the airspace to make better use of the human controller as a resource. Currently investigations on the introduction of a team concept for sectorless air traffic management is being conducted. As part of this team concept, a position takeover concept is being investigated that would reduce the need for a ramp up and decline in traffic when a new controller team takes over a position that is at the end of their shift. From the results new concepts to reduce the loss of knowledge and difficulty of the position takeover are introduced that should be investigated in subsequent experiments. Further, general features of the team concept are investigated, like frequency occupancy data, controller workload and an evaluation of the tools that are available controllers.