DSS on trial – validation of decision support systems for air traffic management

European airspace is becoming more congested and air traffic is expected to grow for the foreseeable future. Decision support systems will have an increasingly important role in helping air traffic controllers meet this demand, by contributing to the growth of capacity of the air traffic system while maintaining or improving current levels of safety. The development and evaluation of prototypes are essential steps in the validation of new decision support systems for air traffic control. This paper describes how National Air Traffic Services Limited validates new decision support systems for air traffic controllers.