The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday highlighted efforts it has taken to address safety concerns caused by air traffic controller fatigue.
FAA Establish a three-person committee of fatigue experts In December 2023, it was chaired by Mark Rosekind, a safety and sleep/fatigue expert and former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) commissioner. The goal was to examine this concern by reviewing controller fatigue research and proposing recommendations.
“As a first step, in line with the expert panel’s recommendations, we will require 10 hours of leave between shifts and 12 hours of leave before the midnight shift. This will take effect within 90 days.” Whitaker said in a written statement. statement.
The committee made 58 recommendations to address fatigue risks within the FAA’s Air Transportation Organization (ATO). According to the report, the four priority recommendations are: unifying policies and risk management systems for consistency, monitoring and eliminating schedule imbalances and excessive workloads, and aligning with circadian principles. The plan was to use a work schedule and increase off-duty hours to 10 to 12 hours. . (Related: ‘Hear the Scream’: Plane nearly crashes on Reagan Airport runway)
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement: “In my first few months as FAA commander, I toured air traffic control facilities across the country and found that controllers were on a schedule that did not always allow for adequate rest. “I have heard your concerns about this.” “The safety of our controllers and airspace is always a top priority for the FAA, so I take this very seriously and am taking action.”
More than 13,000 employees, spread across 313 facilities across the United States, serve as sensitive air traffic controllers 24 hours a day, directing 45,000 flights carrying 2.9 million passengers each day. panel report state. The report finds that 24-hour work schedules disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to sleep deprivation and fatigue, which can impair safety, performance, health and mood.
Whitaker said in a statement that the FAA is “committed to continued efforts to address controller fatigue and ensure our nation’s airspace is the safest in the world,” adding that the committee’s I appreciated the effort.
Whittaker’s statement follows a series of aviation safety incidents throughout 2024.
At approximately 7:41 a.m. Thursday, two planes taxiing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., nearly collided due to conflicting instructions from air traffic controllers. After about 7 minutes, Axios releases report announcement FAA advertising FAA reposted list of new Air Traffic Control Trainee positions.
