European Airspace, accommodating one of the densest air traffic volumes in the world, has been managed by numerous Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). This fragmented structure leads to deficiencies in air traffic flow and capacity management as well as higher costs of air traffic services compared to similar air traffic systems (ATMs) in other regions. In order to eliminate these drawbacks and handle the ever-increasing air traffic safely, efficiently and economically, European Union launched Single European Sky (SES) initiative which aims to organize European Airspace according to air traffic flows rather than national boundaries. Integration towards a Pan-European ATM requires not only adaptation of common legislative framework and technological infrastructure but also standardized air traffic controller training and assessment which support its safety, efficiency and economic targets for sustainable growth of future operations. The primary objective of this project is to develop common assessment criteria for simulation training courses within the Air Traffic Controller (ATCo) basic training in order to improve students’ competencies regarding working effectively and in harmony within the integrated Pan-European air traffic system; improve metrics and scoring tools for the evaluations of students according to future targets of this system such as efficiency and economics; and provide guidelines and recommended practices for enhanced ATCo training across the Europe. The project proposes an innovative approach to measure the performance of ATCo students in radar simulations based on flight cockpit and integrated ATC and flight cockpit simulations. Instructions of ATCo students will be tested in terms of airspace occupancy, service times, aircraft fuel consumption, pilot workload and readability and implementability of ATCo instructions by pilot. In order to achieve these targets, Anadolu University (AU), University of Zagreb Faculty of Transportation (ZFOT) and Technical University of Braunschweig (TUBS) formed a consortium. AU and ZFOT are two leading higher education institutions offering ATCo basic training and possess significant expertise and capabilities in ATC simulations, while TUBS conducts high-end research in the field of flight training and simulations. Although the project primarily targets enhancement of ATCo basic training programs in higher education institutions, its outcomes will provide feedback and recommendations to EUROCONTROL for the revision of reference documents. Therefore, the results can be reached and used by all ANSPs, civil aviation authorities and vocational ATCo training organizations in Europe. In long term, the project outputs are expected to support development of standardized ATC training, increased awareness in safety, efficiency, economics targets of integrated ATM management in Europe, improved employment and mobility opportunities for ATCO candidates, reduction of the job adaption periods, costs and durations of advanced training for ANSP, and enhanced quality of air traffic services and sustained growth of air transportation and connected regional economies in Europe.
European Airspace, accommodating one of the densest air traffic volumes in the world, has been managed by numerous Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). European Union launched Single European Sky (SES) initiative which aims to organize European Airspace according to air traffic flows rather than national boundaries. Integration towards a Pan-European ATM requires not only adaptation of common legislative framework and technological infrastructure but also standardized air traffic controller training and assessment which support its safety, efficiency and economic targets for sustainable growth of future operations. ATCOSIMA project primarily aimed to develop new and common assessment criteria for radar approach control simulation training courses within basic air traffic controller (ATCo) training provided at higher education institutions. These new common criteria were targeted to evaluate ATCo trainees’ performance not only in terms of flight safety but also in terms of flight efficiency during the radar approach control simulation courses according to the future targets of the pan-European ATM system. The objectives of the project within this context were to improve metrics and scoring tools, training guidelines and recommended practices for trainees and instructors for enhanced ATCo training across the Europe. The project targeted ATCo trainees and instructors as well as ATM researchers at higher educations as participants. An innovative approach was proposed to measure the safety and efficiency performance of trainees using human-in-the-loop simulations in both ATC radar simulators and integrated ATC radar-flight deck simulators. In order to achieve these targets, Eskisehir Technical University (ESTU), University of Zagreb Faculty of Transportation (ZFOT) and Technical University of Braunschweig (TUBS) formed a consortium. ESTU and ZFOT, as leading higher education institutions in ATCo basic training, provided significant expertise and capabilities in ATC simulations, while TUBS offered its know-how and capabilities in integrated ATC and flight simulations. A set of generic radar approach exercise scenarios were developed for a generic terminal airspace (TMA) for these simulations. The quantity and type of ATC instructions given by the trainees and the resulting flight trajectory and task load data were collected during these simulations. These data were analyzed thoroughly using various statistical techniques, and the correlations and causal relations were studied between efficiency metrics (fuel consumption, flight time and distance) and the trainees’ inputs (number of flight level, heading and speed change instructions and ratio of low-altitude level-offs). These analyses provided multilinear regression models between flight efficiency metrics and trainees’ inputs. An efficiency-based scoring tool was developed and important training guidelines were obtained from these models. The results of these analyses showed that although trainees could obtain high safety scores based on conventional assessment, their efficiency scores could significantly vary according to the radar vectoring techniques they used. The findings also indicated that these efficiency scores could be improved through enhanced training on flight efficiency using a proper set of these vectoring techniques in basic training. Therefore, the proposed assessment criteria and training guidelines can provide an important insight to monitor, evaluate and enhance ATCo trainees’ efficiency-based performance and competencies of the targeted future ATM system. The documents, tools and guidelines provided by this project can not only help to provide a more effective radar approach simulation training and more accurate and complete assessment on the trainees’ performance compliant with the current and future requirements of Pan-European ATM objectives but also contribute to the improvement of the quality of air traffic services and sustained growth of air transportation and connected regional economies in Europe.