Improved Navigational Technology and Air Traffic Control:
A Description of Controller Coordination and Workload 

Katharine K. Lee, William S. Pawlak, Beverly D. Sanford, and Rhonda A. Slattery


Abstract

Improved navigational technology, such as microwave landing systems
(MLS) or global positioning systems (GPS), installed in today's
commercial aircraft enable the air traffic control (ATC) system to
better utilize its airspace.  This increased efficiency is essential if
the ATC system is to meet its growing demand.  Another approach to help
increase airport capacity is to direct arrival traffic to final
approaches with reduced lateral separations between parallel runways.
Currently, efforts are already underway to increase airport capacity and
efficiency by providing advanced automation to the ATC system.  Research
into ATC automation by NASA Ames Research Center in cooperation with the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has led to the development of the
Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS).  CTAS is intended to provide
better traffic management and planning information for the ATC
environment to reduce delay and increase air traffic control efficiency
for both the TRACON and the ARTCC (Center) (Erzberger, 1992).  The
TRACON component of CTAS is known as the Final Approach Spacing Tool
(FAST).  The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of aircraft
equipped with improved navigational technology upon controller
coordination and workload under precision approaches to closely-spaced
parallel runways within the CTAS environment.