Washington, D.C. (Business Emerge) July 25: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday that it will extend the minimum rest periods between shifts for air traffic controllers. This decision follows recent high-profile incidents involving near-misses between aircraft under the supervision of controllers.
The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), the union representing these professionals, have agreed to several new provisions that will be implemented as part of the scheduling for the upcoming year.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker emphasized the importance of addressing controller fatigue, stating, “The evidence is unequivocal that fatigue among controllers poses a significant safety risk. We are committed to implementing additional measures to combat this issue.”
Rich Santa, NATCA President, expressed optimism about the agreement, noting, “This deal will start to alleviate some of the strain on our already overburdened workforce.” He highlighted that the union has long voiced concerns about fatigue and is pleased to see progress.
A report provided to the FAA by a panel of experts suggested that allowing 10 to 12 hours of rest before shifts could help mitigate the chances of errors due to exhaustion. The report also recommended more extended breaks before midnight shifts, which disrupt regular sleep patterns.
Under the new agreement, controllers will now receive a minimum of 10 hours of rest between shifts and 12 hours of rest before and after midnight shifts. Additionally, there will be limits imposed on consecutive overtime shifts.
Due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, the FAA has been forced to restrict the number of flights in New York and Florida. Whitaker announced that the agency plans to recruit 1,800 new controllers this year and is enhancing its recruitment and training processes.
Controllers have recently been involved in several close calls. For instance, the National Transportation Safety Board reported that a controller made erroneous assumptions, leading to the clearance of a FedEx aircraft to land in Austin, Texas, while a Southwest Airlines jet was taking off from the same runway. Fatigue was not considered a factor in this incident.
In other cases, controllers have successfully intervened to prevent serious runway conflicts, such as when an American Airlines jet mistakenly entered an active runway at JFK Airport in New York.