Abstract

Part 2: Digital Society International audience This paper introduces aviation safety data analysis as an important application area for data mining. Safety is a key strategic management concern for safety-critical industries and management needs new, more efficient tools and methods for more effective management routines. The aviation field is confronted with increasing challenges to provide safe and fluent services. Air travel has grown steadily during the last decades with a direct impact on the air traffic control. At the same time, the competition has become tougher because of increasing fuel prices and growing demand for air travel. Document type: Part of book or chapter of book

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa's air transport, though low in overall volume when compared to other regions in the world, has experienced significant growth in the last decade, both in international and domestic traffic. The sector, in part because of its relatively small size, still faces the challenges of high concentration in services and lack of competition, with only a few dominant airlines providing international services within the continent. In addition, Africa faces challenges in safety oversight, as well as having many smaller non-viable state-owned carriers. Document type: Book

Abstract

traffic control (ATC) performance is important to ensure flight safety and the sustainability of aviation growth. To better evaluate the performance of ATC, this paper introduces the HFACS-BN model (HFACS: Human factors analysis and classification system BN: Bayesian network), which can be combined with the subjective information of relevant experts and the objective data of accident reports to obtain more accurate evaluation results. The human factors of ATC in this paper are derived from screening and analysis of 142 civil and general aviation accidents/incidents related to ATC human factors worldwide from 1980 to 2019, among which the most important 25 HFs are selected to construct the evaluation model. The authors designed and implemented a questionnaire survey based on the HFACS framework and collected valid data from 26 frontline air traffic controllers (ATCO) and experts related to ATC in 2019. Combining the responses with objective data, the noisy MAX model is used to calculate the conditional probability table. The results showed that, among the four levels of human factors, unsafe acts had the greatest influence on ATC Performance (79.4%), while preconditions for safe acts contributed the least (40.3%). The sensitivity analysis indicates the order of major human factors influencing the performance of ATC. Finally, this study contributes to the literature in terms of methodological development and expert empirical analysis, providing data support for human error management intervention of ATC in aviation safety. Document type: Article

Abstract

The exponential increase in aviation activity and air traffic in recent decades has raised several public health issues. One of the critical public health concerns is runway safety and the increasing demand for airports without accidents. In addition to threatening human lives, runway accidents are often associated with severe environmental and pollution consequences. In this study, a three-step approach is used for runway risk assessment considering probability, location, and consequences of accidents through advanced statistical methods. This study proposes novel models for the implementation of these three steps in Iran. Data on runway excursion accidents were collected from several countries with similar air accident rates. The proposed models empower engineers to advance an accurate assessment of the accident probability and safety assessment of airports. For in-service airports, it is possible to assess existing runways to remove obstacles close to runways if necessary. Also, the proposed models can be used for preliminary evaluations of developing existing airports and the construction of new runways. Document type: Article

Abstract

International audience; The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) identify an Airprox to be a situation in which, in the opinion of a pilot or air traffic services personnel, the distance between aircraft as well as their relative positions and speed have been such that the safety of the aircraft involved may have been compromised. These are relatively rare events but they must be reported and investigated in order to reduce future risks. Airprox investigations and similar studies into near-miss incidents focus on the risk to passengers and crew. They do not consider the impact of debris. This raises concerns when, for example, the Bijlmermeer crash led to the deaths of 39 people on the ground. This paper presents a system that was developed to simulate the risks from aircraft debris on ground-based infrastructures. The system was developed and validated with help from Airprox investigators. To this end, a User Centered Design process was applied; analysing the activities and needs of potential users from two European investigation agencies. The following pages present the key design decisions, provide insights into the development process and identify limitations with our existing system. The closing sections identify further applications of this approach and suggest areas for further work.