Increased Flexibility in ATCO Validations

This project is focused on developing innovative approaches to reduce the effort required for controllers to obtain and maintain unit endorsements for specific sectors or sector groups within the en‑route upper airspace. The work is structured around two complementary solution pathways.

Solution 1: Enhancing Endorsement Efficiency

Solution 1 comprises two coordinated threads designed to streamline the endorsement process while maintaining operational safety and resilience.

Thread A: Strategic Improvements to Endorsement Processes

This thread explores four targeted strategies to simplify and modernise how endorsements are achieved and sustained:

1.  IFAV Tool Support and Evolve ATC Procedures

• Assessing how IFAV capabilities can better support controller familiarisation and validation.
• Identifying procedural refinements that reduce training overhead without compromising safety or service quality.

2.  Smart Competency Monitoring and Predictive Competency Modelling

• Developing intelligent monitoring solutions to provide real‑time insight into controller competency.
• Using predictive models to identify minimum competency thresholds, enabling more efficient training and revalidation planning.

3.  Smart Sector Groupings

• Exploring optimised sector‑grouping concepts that reduce the number of endorsements required.
• Ensuring sector configurations remain operationally robust while lowering the overall training burden.

4. Common Unit Competence Scheme Framework

• Establishing a harmonised competence framework to support consistency across units.
• Reducing duplication and enabling a more scalable, interoperable approach to competence management.

Thread B: Human-Machine Collaboration and Future Automation

This thread examines how increased automation can support a Generic Controller Validation model.

• Investigating the role of human-machine teaming in future ATC environments.
• Developing early‑stage automation concepts to understand how emerging tools could reduce validation effort.
• Ensuring that automation enhances controller performance and maintains the highest safety standards.

Solution 2: Applying IFAV in Remote Tower Centre Operations

Solution 2 evaluates the applicability of the IFAV concept within Remote Tower Centre (RTC) environments.

• Assessing how remote operations influence familiarisation and validation requirements.
• Identifying the adaptations needed for IFAV to support the unique operational, technical, and procedural characteristics of RTCs.