FAA Announces Revised Air Traffic Controller Rest Guidelines

On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its plans to revise air traffic controller rest guidelines, mandating a minimum of 10 hours off between shifts (previously 9 hours) and 12 hours off before midnight shifts.  

The change comes in response to a new report released by a panel of safety experts detailing the impact of fatigue on air traffic controllers and safety. FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker formed the panel last year in response to several near misses, which have garnered widespread media attention.

Whitaker issued the new rest rules in an April 19 memo to FAA leadership, noting that the changes would be implemented in the next 90 days.

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy applauded the FAA’s decision saying, “The safety of our skies depends on air traffic controllers who are well-trained and well-rested. This move by the FAA to give overworked and overscheduled air traffic controllers proper rest between shifts is the right thing to do.”

In her remarks, she noted the NTSB's longstanding concern over controller fatigue, citing incidents like the 2006 Comair flight 5191 crash linked to overworked controllers.

However, the change has drawn backlash from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), which expressed disappointment that the FAA did not collaborate with the group ahead of its decision. NATCA says it is concerned that implementing the new rules right away could create staffing gaps in air traffic facilities, potentially impacting National Airspace System capacity. Mandating overtime to cover these gaps would only increase fatigue, rendering the new policy ineffective, according to NATCA.