Entry Count vs Occupancy Count to assess sector capacity with Fast Time Simulation

An air traffic controller should manage aircraft movements per hour to ensure the safety and efficiency of the traffic system. This study proposed an innovative methodology to estimate the air traffic controllers’ workload through sector occupancy. Starting with a model for the workload of sector controllers designed by Eurocontrol for tower controllers, the authors defined a taskload model from real audio that occurred in an examined Terminal Control Area (TMA). Moreover, trombones have been implemented to sequence arrival flows in the simulated TMA. Therefore, an airside model has been reproduced using Fast Time Simulation software, and its capacity has been calculated in terms of occupancy due to approaching movements. The results permit to evaluate the impact of infrastructural and operative modifications on the sector capacity in terms of hourly entry count and occupancy. Total and maximum occupancy values have been deepened to identify the best predictive factor of controllers’ workload and to manage the airspace configuration.