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How the Tower Air Traffic Controller Workload Influences the Capacity in a Complex Three-Runway Airport

Author

Listed:
  • Paola Di Mascio

    (Department of Civil, Constructional and Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Riccardo Carrara

    (Department of Civil, Constructional and Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Luca Frasacco

    (ENAV Ente Nazionale Assistenza al Volo-Italian Air Navigation Service Provider Via Salaria, 00138 Rome, Italy)

  • Eleonora Luciano

    (ENAV Ente Nazionale Assistenza al Volo-Italian Air Navigation Service Provider Via Salaria, 00138 Rome, Italy)

  • Andrea Ponziani

    (ENAV Ente Nazionale Assistenza al Volo-Italian Air Navigation Service Provider Via Salaria, 00138 Rome, Italy)

  • Laura Moretti

    (Department of Civil, Constructional and Environmental Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Air traffic controllers aim to optimize airport capacity, that is to increase the number of aircraft movements per hour maintaining a limited delay. There are several definitions of capacity, which depend on the considered airport element. This study focused on the development of a method that allows evaluating the impact of tower air traffic controllers’ workload on airport capacity. It adapts a model for the workload of sector controllers designed by Eurocontrol to tower controllers and tests it on a heavily busy international airport. In order to collect controllers’ working times, a campaign of data collection has been carried out from the radio frequency occupation. The results allowed us to extrapolate the hourly percentage of work of the various tower controllers using a fast-time simulation software. By imposing an hourly working threshold on tower air traffic controllers, it was possible to obtain a maximum number of manageable aircraft, which was compared with the airside capacity of the airport. The results show that the maximum traffic manageable from the airside would produce unacceptable workload for tower controllers, highlighting the link between airport capacity and the human component.

Suggested Citation

  • Paola Di Mascio & Riccardo Carrara & Luca Frasacco & Eleonora Luciano & Andrea Ponziani & Laura Moretti, 2021. "How the Tower Air Traffic Controller Workload Influences the Capacity in a Complex Three-Runway Airport," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:6:p:2807-:d:514347
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paola Di Mascio & Laura Moretti & Massimiliano Piacitelli, 2020. "Airport Landside Sustainable Capacity and Level of Service of Terminal Functional Subsystems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Paola Di Mascio & Gregorio Rappoli & Laura Moretti, 2020. "Analytical Method for Calculating Sustainable Airport Capacity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-15, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Paola Di Mascio & Maria Vittoria Corazza & Nicolò Rocco Rosa & Laura Moretti, 2022. "Optimization of Aircraft Taxiing Strategies to Reduce the Impacts of Landing and Take-Off Cycle at Airports," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-15, August.

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