A series of international virtual classes have been conducted by Malaysia Aviation Academy (MAvA) (https://mava.caam.gov.my) under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP) focusing on managing fatigue using Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) to the Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP). The course was specifically scheduled in four different timing sessions to cater for different region’s timing.
The course was conducted for one week and consists of 10 modules and several discussion sessions. Each session was attended by 15 to 20 Air Traffic Controllers as well as Air Traffic Control (ATC) supervisors and managers from Malaysia, Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (LACAC), Caribbean Aviation Safety and Security Oversight System (CASSOS), African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO) and Asia Pacific (APAC). The course was conducted via zoom meeting that was hosted by MAvA, a training centre under the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM).
This course aims to provide ATC personnel with the essential knowledge, skills, and attitude to understand that fatigue is a safety concern and it is important that they are able to manage fatigue within a safety system in air traffic operations. Basically, fatigue can occur in any profession that requires higher focus and safety management. Fatigue in air traffic control can lead to a lack of good situation awareness and poor planning decisions.
Starting in 2021, one of the modules was delivered by UiTM researcher, Dr Siti Mariam binti Abdul Rahman. The module on Fatigue for ATC was divided into two 1-hour sessions that focus on understanding, recognizing, and managing fatigue. Dr Siti Mariam graduated from the Control and Simulation Division, Aerospace Engineering Faculty, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands, and her research is focusing on Air Traffic Management. Together with a team of researchers from UiTM under the Research Group (RG) Flight Technology Test Center (FTTC), from the College of Engineering, she is leading a research on aviation management, collaborating with Kuala Lumpur Air Traffic Control Centre (KLATCC) since 2014.
The collaboration between Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and CAAM will ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for ATC personnel according to SDG 3 in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The training and research will also support in reducing the inequality within and among countries achieving SDG 10 by providing a platform to share safety and fatigue condition and environment of different countries.