The Effects of Digitalization on Human Factors, Safety, and Decision Making in Aviation Operations
by HAVADER Editör Ekibi
Your smartphone shows you the fastest route — but does that help you drive without ever learning the roads, or does it help you drive more safely? This is automation's general paradox: sometimes it supports us, sometimes it creates dependency. This study systematically examines that same paradox in aviation operations.
Automation systems, digital interfaces, data-driven decision-support systems, and AI applications have significantly transformed how aviation operations are conducted. But digitalization's effect on human performance, decision-making, and safety isn't one-dimensional. This study's goal was to systematically review these effects within the PRISMA 2020 framework.
Of 485 records identified through Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, 25 studies were included in the final analysis after multi-stage screening, evaluated through a theoretically guided narrative synthesis examining workload, situational awareness, trust in automation, decision-support systems, and safety-related outcomes. The findings show digitalization has a dual, context-dependent impact on human performance: digital systems can reduce workload and improve decision speed and consistency in routine tasks, but they can also create new risks at high automation levels — weakened situational awareness and overreliance among them.
What this study contributes is showing that a simple formula like "more digitalization = more safety" is wrong. An everyday analogy: it's similar to a student becoming so dependent on a calculator that they lose basic math skills — the tool is useful, but over-relying on it can erode the underlying ability it was meant to support. Post-2018 studies show the debate shifting from classical automation toward AI-enabled, data-driven systems, where model transparency, data quality, explainability, and trust calibration have become central concerns.
In the end, this research shows digitalization alone doesn't guarantee safer aviation operations — safety emerges from a balanced integration of human, technological, and organizational elements. That stands as a strong warning to aviation organizations: never neglect the human factor while investing in technology.
Automation systems, digital interfaces, data-driven decision-support systems, and AI applications have significantly transformed how aviation operations are conducted. But digitalization's effect on human performance, decision-making, and safety isn't one-dimensional. This study's goal was to systematically review these effects within the PRISMA 2020 framework.
Of 485 records identified through Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, 25 studies were included in the final analysis after multi-stage screening, evaluated through a theoretically guided narrative synthesis examining workload, situational awareness, trust in automation, decision-support systems, and safety-related outcomes. The findings show digitalization has a dual, context-dependent impact on human performance: digital systems can reduce workload and improve decision speed and consistency in routine tasks, but they can also create new risks at high automation levels — weakened situational awareness and overreliance among them.
What this study contributes is showing that a simple formula like "more digitalization = more safety" is wrong. An everyday analogy: it's similar to a student becoming so dependent on a calculator that they lose basic math skills — the tool is useful, but over-relying on it can erode the underlying ability it was meant to support. Post-2018 studies show the debate shifting from classical automation toward AI-enabled, data-driven systems, where model transparency, data quality, explainability, and trust calibration have become central concerns.
In the end, this research shows digitalization alone doesn't guarantee safer aviation operations — safety emerges from a balanced integration of human, technological, and organizational elements. That stands as a strong warning to aviation organizations: never neglect the human factor while investing in technology.