Human Factors in Air Traffic Control

Dr. Nuno Cebola is the Director of Human Factors & Wellbeing at NATS.
Nuno has a background in Psychology and Human Factors - or the science of managing risks to the safe operation of technical systems by humans. Nuno has spent his career working in safety critical industries ensuring humans can safely operate systems that could otherwise cause the death of hundreds of other humans.
His research degree focused on the management of fatigue risk for rail workers but he is too tired of that topic now. He believes that through his work he makes the world a better and safer place a risk at a time whilst having fun doing it.

I've worked for NATS for 28.5 years, first as a trainee then a valid air traffic controller on the London TMA. I became Group Supervisor which is a role where you spend some of your time controlling and some of your time managing the sectors and staff and then subsequently last year was promoted to Deputy Operations supervisor; I no longer actively control aircraft but am now part of the team that manages the traffic in the entire London TMA and main London airports.