FAA Issues Policies to Tackle Controller Fatigue

Bethany Whitfield

Wednesday, July 06, 2011 at 09:56 PM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA and NATCA have reached an agreement on new guidelines to combat air traffic controller fatigue and restore public confidence after recent incidents of controllers sleeping on the job.
Key provisions include relaxed language suggesting controllers may be allowed to sleep during non-duty break periods, permitting reading or listening to radios on night shifts to stay alert, and allowing fatigued controllers to report their inability to perform duties for reassignment or leave.
While the agreement emphasizes individual controller responsibility for being well-rested, it notably does not include changes to the current air traffic control scheduling system, with discussions for new scheduling principles planned for no later than next September.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) have announced an agreement on new guidelines intended to combat fatigue.** **

The agreement is the latest in a series of attempts by the FAA to restore confidence in America’s air traffic control system, which came under heavy fire earlier this year with a barrage of reports detailing controllers sleeping on the job.