Assessment of Human Performance in Multiple Remote Tower Operations

Abstract

As part of the SESAR2020 PJ05 Remote Tower, new concepts are under test to facilitate safe, high-quality and cost efficient air traffic management. As an extension to the already operational Remote Tower concept, efforts are taken to investigate the impact of Multiple Remote Tower (MRT) operations on human performance. In the present study, it was assessed if a single Air Traffic Controller (ATCO) was able to provide air traffic service (ATS) to three remotely controlled aerodromes at a time. Seven ATCOs provided ATS to one mid-sized and two small-sized aerodromes in a high-fidelity real-time simulation. ATCOs completed five scenarios dealing with runway direction changes, unplanned runway closures due to oil leakage as well as a simulated emergency. Workload, situation awareness and safety were assessed with multiple validated questionnaires and qualitative debriefing interviews. Task effort was slightly increased, but workload and situation awareness remained at an acceptable level throughout all runs. No safety-critical situations were reported. MRT operations can be considered safe and efficient under the given circumstances. They are reckoned another factor contributing to complexity, just like traffic load, distribution and/or unexpected situations. This should therefore be taken into account when designing an MRT controller working position.