The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced the formation of a three-member expert panel to address air traffic controller fatigue following a series of near misses across the U.S. airspace system. According to the agency, the panel will analyze the latest scientific research on sleep and fatigue, focusing on its impact on controllers and potential mitigation strategies.
Chaired by Mark Rosekind, formerly of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the panel includes Dr. Charles Czeisler of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans of NASA’s Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory. The team will begin its work in January, reviewing existing research on controller fatigue before providing a final report to the FAA within six weeks.
The panel is likely to focus on examining current controller work schedules and shift durations through the lens of fatigue science, assessing the potential of advanced fatigue monitoring and mitigation tools in ATC facilities, and evaluating enhanced training programs for controllers to promote fatigue awareness and self-management.
In 2014, the FAA revised its regulations on flight duty limitations, codified under 14 CFR Part 117. This regulation provides more stringent requirements around fatigue management and rest requirements for flight crew members. However, limited regulations are in place for air traffic controllers and other industry workgroups.
