Abstract
New Air Traffic Management (ATM) concepts are being considered to cope with increased demands on the airspace. The transition to future ATM will be gradual. Initially, only some aircraft will have the equipment to fully participate in all aspects of the new system, whereas other less well-equipped aircraft will not. The present study investigated how such mixed equipage affects air traffic controller (ATCo) performance and mental workload. Sixteen ATCos performed a simulated ATC task with or without decision support and with varying proportions (low, medium, and high) of traffic mix predictability (i.e. knowledge of aircraft trajectories). Dependent variables included the accuracy and response time in detecting potential conflicts and eye movements. The findings demonstrate that: a) medium traffic mix predictability supports the earlier detection of conflicts; b) automation support improves conflict detection, but c) ATCos make the most eye movements towards unmanaged aircraft.
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