The FAA is mandating new rules to combat air traffic controller fatigue, requiring 10 hours of rest between shifts and 12 hours off before a midnight shift, effective in 90 days.
FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker introduced these changes after noting concerns about insufficient rest and is directing oversight to ensure compliance.
The agency is also addressing controller shortages by meeting and expanding hiring goals, aiming to alleviate demands on the current workforce.
These actions follow the commissioning of an independent study on controller fatigue and a recent series of near-collisions, including a notable incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The FAA is taking action to reduce air traffic controller fatigue by mandating longer rest periods between shifts, agency administrator Michael Whitaker said Friday.
Whitaker noted that in his first few months at the helm of the FAA he toured ATC facilities around the country and heard “concerns about schedules that do not always allow controllers to get enough rest.”
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
