Evaluation of air traffic management procedures—safety assessment in an experimental environment Alberto Pasquini a , Simone Pozzi a,b, * a Deep Blue s.r.l., Via Basento 52/D 00198 Rome, Italy b Department of Communication Science, University of Siena, Via dei Termini 6, 53100 Siena, Italy Available online 25 September 2004 Abstract This paper presents and discusses the application of safety assessment methodologies to a pre-operational project in the Air Traffic Control field. In the case analysed in the present paper a peculiar aspect was the necessity to effectively assess new operational procedures and tools. In particular we exploited an integrated methodology to evaluate computer-based applications and their interactions with the operational environment. Current ATC safety practices, methodologies, guidelines and standards were critically revised, in order to identify how they could be applied to the project under consideration. Thus specific problematic areas for the safety assessment in a pre-operational experimental project are highlighted and, on the basis of theoretical principles, some possible solutions taken into consideration. The latter are described highlighting the rationale of most relevant decisions, in order to provide guidance for generalisation or re-use. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Safety assessment; Air traffic management; Human–computer interaction 1. Introduction Air Traffic Control is an interesting example of the successful use of safety practices and methodologies. A considerable safety record has been achieved, since European Air Traffic Control currently contributes as a major cause in approximately 2% of aircraft accidents, with only two air collisions between civil aircraft over the last 50 years. However if the accident rate remains unchanged but the traffic volume increases, the total number of negative events will probably become unacceptable. Combining a static accident rate and increasing traffic ICAO 1 estimated an accident per week (see also EUROCONTROL [1, p. 16]). Hence considerable efforts are constantly put in designing and experimenting with technological or process innovation. The object is two-fold: increase safety in current conditions, and assure appropriate safety levels in future operational environments. The present paper describes the safety assessment of an experimental project in the Air Traffic Management (ATM) domain. Safety activities were thus conducted to explore future concepts and procedures for Air Traffic Management. This paper is divided in two main parts: – the first part presents basic information about the ATM domain characteristics (Section 2), the safety assessment methodologies adopted therein (Section 3), the role of computer systems (Section 4), and the experimental project where the safety assessment activity took place (Section 5). This part is intended to provide the reader with a basic understanding of the main factors and problems that should be managed in safety assessment activities in an ATM experimental project; – the second part describes the practical solutions adopted in our safety assessment activity to solve some of the above problems. In particular compliance to safety 0951-8320/$ - see front matter q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ress.2004.08.009 Reliability Engineering and System Safety 89 (2005) 105–117 www.elsevier.com/locate/ress * Corresponding author. Address: Department of Communication Science, University of Siena, Via dei Termini 6, 53100 Siena, Italy. E-mail addresses: alberto@dblue.it (A. Pasquini), simone@dblue.it (S. Pozzi). 1 International Civil Aviation Organisation: ICAO was established in 1947 to develop principles and techniques of international air navigation and to support planning and development of international flight transportation.