FAA will require more rest time for air traffic controllers amid fatigue concerns

The
head
of
the
Federal
Aviation
Administration
on
Friday
said
the
agency
will
increase
the
required
amount
of
rest
time
for
air
traffic
controllers
in
response
to
concerns
over
fatigue
amid
a
staffing
shortage.

The
changes,
which
would
take
effect
within
90
days,
would
require
controllers
to
have
at
least
10
hours
of
rest
between
shifts,
up
from
nine
hours,
and
12
hours
of
rest
before
an
overnight
shift.

“In
my
first
few
months
at
the
helm
of
the
FAA,
I
toured
air
traffic
control
facilities
around
the
country
—
and
heard
concerns
about
schedules
that
do
not
always
allow
controllers
to
get
enough
rest,”
FAA
Administrator
Mike
Whitaker
said
in
a
statement. “With
the
safety
of
our
controllers
and
national
airspace
always
top
of
mind
for
FAA,
I
took
this
very
seriously
—
and
we’re
taking
action.”

The
changes
come
as
pressure
on
the
FAA
grows
to
improve
air
travel
safety
amid
a
spate
of

close
calls
at
airports,
as
well
as

mechanical
problems
at
some
airlines
and

production
problems
at


Boeing.

A
shortfall
of
air
traffic
controllers,
made
worse
by
a
pause
in
hiring
during
the
Covid-19
pandemic,
has
led
to
forced
overtime
and
packed
schedules
for
staff
at
some
facilities.
The
agency
hired
1,500
controllers
last
year
and
plans
to
hire
1,800
this
year.
Air
traffic
controllers
in
the
U.S.
are
required
to
retire
at
age
56.

The
announcement
came
alongside
an
FAA-ordered

report
on
air
traffic
controller
fatigue,
which
recommended
the
new
rest
requirements.