An Experimental Study On Human Resource Placement Of Air Traffic Controllers

Human Factor (HF) is the main factor that leads to air traffic accidents. And human resource placement of air traffic controllers is one of the most important components of HF study. How to arrange air traffic controllers in pairs or work shifts is a subject that every Air Traffic Management (ATM) organization must face, but there is few systematic theories or experimental studies on the subject in China for a long time.This study demonstrates both theoretically and practically. Firstly, characteristics of ATM and the present situation of controllers' human resource placement are mentioned, problems of human resource placement existing in ATM industry are pointed out. And then, the thesis aims at providing a set of systematic principles and an operational method for human resource placement of air traffic controllers through theory and case studies. At last, the method has been put into practice in an ATM center and works well. It may offer some useful advices for other ATM centers' practical operation, therefore the principles would be compiled into ATM standard manual at a proper time.The thesis poses five principles for human resource placement of air traffic controllers: the staff of a shift should be comparatively fixed, while controller's physical working position (workstation) and combination of pairs should not be fixed in a shift; placing controllers with different personalities in a shift and pairs, parting controllers with similar personalities; ensuring balance of controllers' working ability, working experience, gender differences, ability of using English language in different shifts; proper authority gradient in pairs; accommodating interpersonal relationship, very close or tense interpersonal relationship is not good for controlling air craft, accommodating informal groups.