FAA Announces New Panel to Address Air Traffic Controller Fatigue

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Wednesday that it's seeking the advice of a panel of sleep and fatigue experts to identify new ways to address air traffic controller (ATC) fatigue.

The announcement comes amid nationwide ATC shortages that have often resulted in mandatory overtime and six-day work weeks.

According to the FAA, the three-member panel will "examine how the latest science on sleep needs and fatigue considerations could be applied to controller work requirements and scheduling" to pinpoint ways the FAA could better remedy the issue.

The panel, led by chair Mark Rosekind, a safety and sleep/fatigue professional and former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member, will begin its work in early January and provide a final report to the FAA roughly six weeks later.

In addition to Rosekind, other members of the panel include Charles Czeisler, chief and senior physician, Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, head of the NASA Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory.

A recent report alleged the fatigue has gotten so bad that some air traffic controllers have been using drugs and alcohol to manage the stress. 

Wednesday's announcement comes two weeks after the FAA revealed plans to establish a rulemaking committee to address mental health concerns in aviation.

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