Understanding human-human collaboration to guide human-computer interaction design in air traffic control

With increasing sophistication of automation in recent years, interaction between humans and automated systems has shifted from humans using automated tools to humans and automated systems "collaborating" with each other. In designing human-computer interactions in complex systems, researchers have drawn analogies between human-computer interaction and human-human collaboration. Although "collaboration" seemingly implies achieving shared goals between equitable partners, collaboration often involves partners who have different levels of authority and responsibility. One such environment is air traffic control (ATC) operations, in which controllers manage air traffic safely and efficiently with cooperation from pilots. This paper examines the nature of collaboration between controllers and pilots in current and future ATC operations. Key factors that drive human-human collaboration style in ATC are discussed. These factors are applicable to the design of automation and decision support tools in future ATC operations.