Developing human informed automation in air traffic management

Human Centred Automation (HCA) is a design and development concept that has evolved out of necessity in the field of computer-supported (advanced) aviation. However, the advent of so-called ‘glass cockpits’ (computerised flight decks) saw a series of incidents and accidents, many of which related to a fundamental mismatch between the computer system (the automation) and the mental models of the pilots, often resulting in tragedy. HCA embodies a set of principles through which such mismatches and their consequences can be avoided, or at the least minimised.