An Analysis of the Impact Characteristics of Manned and Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Operation on Air Traffic Control Performance

With the rapid development of large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), their integration into controlled airspace alongside manned aircraft has become a significant trend. This integration requires UAVs to actively adapt to existing air traffic control (ATC) paradigms. However, the potential impact of such integrated operations on air traffic controllers'(ATCOs) performance remains unclear, which consequently constrains the design of effective integration strategies. In order to investigate the impact mechanism of integrated operations on ATCOs'performance, this study designed two scenarios-traditional operations and integrated operations-within a terminal control area. A simulation experiment is conducted with 20 recruited ATCOs. The performance is evaluated using seven metrics across four dimensions: traffic situation characteristics, controller psychology, operational behavior, and outcomes. These indicators included air traffic complexity, mental workload, emotional state, the number of instructions, completion rate, efficiency, and control score. The differences in these indicators are analyzed using paired sample t-tests. The results indicated a significant decline in multiple performance indicators under the integrated operations scenario. Compared to traditional operations, the average and maximum air traffic complexity increased by 93.81% and 32.93%, respectively. Mental workload and negative emotions increased by 13.78% and 20.83%, respectively. The number of heading, altitude, and speed instructions decreased by 6.72%, 16.26%, and 30.79%, respectively. Furthermore, the completion rate, efficiency, and control score decreased by 14.47%, 8.03%, and 64.61%, respectively. From the perspective of cognitive information processing, these impacts exhibit a comprehensive, cyclical, and interactive character. In summary, the impact of integrated operations is primarily manifested in three aspects: ①the interaction between aircraft becomes more complex and exhibits a cumulative effect, increasing the difficulty of ATC command.②ATCOs experience increased cognitive and mental workload, alongside elevated negative emotions, which can easily lead to issues such as imbalanced attention allocation and decision-making delays. ③UAV-specific characteristics, such as communication latency and conflict resolution protocols, can disrupt the rhythm of ATC operations, thereby leading to a degradation in overall control performance.