Factors Affecting the Learning of a New Air Traffic Control Sector for Experienced Air Traffic Controllers

Abstract

Developing generic airspace is one means of addressing the need for increased staffing flexibility as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) NextGen Air Traffic Control modernization efforts. Assessing the similarity of airspace sectors and identifying groups of sectors is a key step in enabling the generic airspace concept. In order to assess similarities of airspace sectors, factors affecting how quickly a controller makes a transition from one sector to another were identified using semi-structured interviews with experienced air traffic controllers. The most important factors appear to reflect familiarity with types of operations and common traffic patterns, providing a basis for classifying groups of sectors for the generic airspace concept.