Humans are at the heart of air traffic management. They are responsible for keeping our skies safe, and ensuring traffic continues to flow safely and efficiently. Despite rapid advancements in technology that support Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) in managing more aircraft, the role of the human as the decision maker has not changed.

Last month my colleague Chris Edwards talked about the transition that’s under way in our London Terminal Control room, where we’re introducing a new digital tool called EXCDS to replace the paper strips currently used by Controllers.

Automation has a major role to play in the future of air traffic management. People are key to the success of any automation; how they design, monitor and maintain the systems and tools available to controllers, and how those tools are used. It’s something we’re dedicating a lot of attention to and I was pleased to be invited to discuss this at a recent Flight Safety Foundation Forum in Brussels.