Description
Date depot: 1 janvier 1900
Titre: Correlations between airspace activities and air traffic controller activities
Directeur de thèse:
Patrick BELLOT (LTCI (EDMH))
Domaine scientifique: Sciences et technologies de l'information et de la communication
Thématique CNRS : Non defini
Resumé:
One of the main objectives of Air Traffic Management (ATM) research is to safely and efficiently
utilize ATM system resources in order to accommodate steadily growth in traffic demand.
Advanced technologies applied in the ATM field and new concepts of operation proposed, have
been improving the system capability as well as increasing its complexity. Human, as manager
and decision-maker, have always been central in ATM system and will continue to constitute the
core of future ATM system. Meanwhile, human cognitive complexity could still be the limiting
factor of future ATM system.
Determination of airspace capacity is prerequisite to realize traffic flow management programs,
which aim at ensuring a safe and orderly air traffic flow. A popular definition of sector capacity is
the maximum number of aircraft that can be handled in the sector during a given time period,
without causing excessive controller workload. A conservative estimation of capacity can waste
system resource and cause aircraft delay, whereas an aggressive capacity may increase cognitive
complexity and result in situations that are beyond controller ability to manage safely. Due to
interdependencies between airspace complexity, sector activities, and the air traffic controller
activities, airspace capacity is difficult to predict and determine. Air Traffic Control authorities
commonly use fast-time simulation techniques to estimate capacity. In some ATC centers capacity
are even determined based on operational experience. Human resource and airspace resource
are both essential for a safe, reliable and efficient operation of ATM system. The capacity that
reflects both human cognitive constraints and physical system constraints is of great value. As the
global ATM system shifts to modernization, including both the NextGen initiative led by U.S. and
SESAR led by European Commission and EUROCONTROL, better models of capacity estimation
are needed.
Doctorant.e: Wang Yanjun