Solution Space Concept for Trajectory-Based Air Traffic Control: An Ecological Approach

THE increasing demand in worldwide air travel is foreseen to push the limits of capacity of the current Air TrafficManagement (ATM) system within the coming decade. Therefore, twomajor international programs have been initiated to fundamentally restructure the way in which Air Traffic Control (ATC) is performed. A key pillar in both programs is the introduction of Trajectorybased Operations (TBO), in which highly accurate gate-to-gate defined fourdimensional (4D) trajectories will form the basis of the work of future Air Traffic Controllers (ATCos) and pilots alike. There is a consensus that human controllers and not automation should remain ultimately responsible for the safety of operations. However, the precise task of the ATCo, and the extent of automation autonomy and authority are not clear.