Monitoring the airport-cdm turnround process: Applying a qualitative cognitive model based on field observations

The objective of this study is to better understand the cognitive mechanisms for monitoring the Aircraft Turn-Round Process during normal operation. Networks of participating operators during aircraft turnround are becoming increasingly large and complex, and so creating unique challenges for human operators who must monitor these networks for reliable and safe operation. The aircraft turn-round as the linking element between the arrival phase and departure phase of flight requires specific decision support for the assignment of a Target Off-Block Time (TOBT) which is an important trigger to inform the Air Traffic Management (ATM) network about an estimate for the completion of the turnround. In this study, field observations with focus on cognitive activities were conducted during five different airlines' turn-round operations in situ for a total of approximately 122 hours. Focus was applied on monitoring turn-rounds having only Minimum Turn-Round Time (MTTT) available. This is a novel approach of viewing the turn-round monitoring process since cognitive mechanisms of turn-round controllers have not been identified yet as a contributing factor for TOBT prediction. The findings indicate that monitoring strategies used by turn-round controllers are different, even through problem settings are similar. While turn-round monitoring and control has traditionally taken place at the aircraft, operators started to move management of the turn-round away from physical location of the aircraft into a control room. However, observations have shown that the predictive capabilities inherent at established ways of turn-round monitoring cannot be transferred into a control room without prior analysis of the monitoring and facilitating activities used by the turn-round controllers. Findings were organized in a qualitative cognitive model originally developed domain specific during operators' monitoring of nuclear power plants.