Design and testing of an integrated ground handler working position

Abstract

fter air traffic controllers and pilots had been supplied with new surveillance and planning support tools in the airport environment the last decade, airport ground handlers are still suffering out-of-date technology and thus, nowadays, frequently cause bottlenecks for efficient surface operations. The dispatcher and luggage drivers lack a full traffic pictures, have to compile needed information from difficultly accessible sources and are bound to a sequential radio communication. By that reason a human-centered concept for ground handlers was designed, implemented and tested at Hamburg Airport. Dispatcher and driver were provided with the complete traffic situation in real time, data link communication and an integrated human- machine interface (HMI) providing all needed information at one gaze and intuitive interactions to assign tasks to the driver by one click only. The concept design was much appreciated by the dispatchers.