Right on Time: Required Time of Arrival (RTA) to Anticipate Human factors Issues with Trajectory Based Operations (TBO)

The future Trajectory-Based Operation (TBO) management method aims to increase the efficiency and predictability of flight operations. The use of time constraints, such as Required Time of Arrival (RTA) at specific points throughout the flight, enables flight trajectories to be better controlled. In this study, we conducted seven interviews with air traffic controllers, pilots, and civil aviation engineers to analyze the RTA management in the current airspace and to identify differences expected with its use in TBO. We found that in the current airspace, RTAs are used tactically to resolve short-term conflicts, which limits their benefits compared to a more strategic approach. From the pilots’ perspective, accepting RTAs requires an in-depth analysis of its impacts on the mission. Temporal information displayed in the cockpit is limited to support pilots’ decision-making. These results highlight the importance of studying human factors for RTA management in current airspace to address the challenges and limitations expected within TBO.