FAA Administrator Changing ATC Scheduling Practices

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FAA Administrator Changing ATC Scheduling Practices By Shane Nolan

		April 18, 2011 - Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Randy Babbitt on Sunday announced changes to air traffic controller scheduling practices that will allow controllers more time for rest between shifts. “We expect controllers to come to work rested and ready to work and take personal responsibility for safety in the control towers. We have zero tolerance for sleeping on the job,” said Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. “Safety is our top priority and we will continue to make whatever changes are necessary.” “Research shows us that giving people the chance for even an additional one hour of rest during critical periods in a schedule can improve work performance and reduce the potential for fatigue,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “Taking advantage of the time you have to rest is also a professional responsibility.”

The new scheduling rules have already been put in place and will be fully in effect by the end of the week. Controllers will now have a minimum of nine hours off between shifts. Currently they may have as few as eight. They will no longer be able to swap shifts unless they have a minimum of 9 hours off between the last shift they worked and the one they want to begin. Controllers will no longer be able to switch to an unscheduled midnight shift following a day off and FAA managers will schedule their own shifts in a way to ensure greater coverage in the early morning and late night hours. Today, FAA Administrator Babbitt and NATCA President Paul Rinaldi will be in Atlanta, where they will begin their Call to Action on air traffic control safety and professionalism meetings. The goal of the Call to Action is to reinforce the need for all air traffic personnel to adhere to the highest professional standards. Over the course of this week, they will visit air traffic facilities in and around the following cities: Atlanta; Dallas - Ft. Worth; Kansas City; Chicago; New York; and Washington, DC. The two will also visit the air traffic control training academy at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City. Senior members of both FAA and NATCA leadership teams will also be visiting additional FAA facilities nationwide over the next few weeks. In addition to changes in scheduling practices, the Call to Action effort will include the development of a fatigue education program to teach controllers the risks of fatigue and how to avoid it.

The FAA will also commission an independent review of the air traffic control training curriculum and qualifications to make sure new controllers are properly prepared. NATCA will expand its own Professional Standards program nationwide which focuses on peer-to-peer education for controllers on how to maintain the highest degree of professional conduct. The FAA suspended an air traffic controller early Saturday morning for falling asleep while on duty during the midnight shift at the Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center.

According to a preliminary review of air traffic tapes, the controller did not miss any calls from aircraft and there was no operational impact. Prior to the start of the shift, all controllers were given a briefing on professionalism and the importance of reporting to work fit for duty. The incident was reported to a manager by another controller. There were 12 controllers on duty and two managers.

		Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt were briefed on the incident by David Grizzle, acting chief operating officer of the Air Traffic Organization. Last Wednesday, Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Babbitt announced that the FAA would place an additional air traffic controller on the midnight shift at airport control towers and other facilities around the country that were staffed with only one controller during that time. Other News Stories (For the latest news please checkout our home page) FAA Spoke On Biometric Pilots Licenses Before U.S. House Committee NTSB Report Details How Close United Airlines Flight 889 Came To A Midair ICAO Standards Weak On Shipping Lithium Batteries By Aircraft Report Shows UK Airline Pilots Suffer Significant Fatigue New Touch Screen Attendant Control Panel For Airplane Cabin Upgrades 2011 Bahamas & Caribbean Pilot's Guide Now On The iPad Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Raise Money For Victims Of Japan’s Tsunami Sikorsky And Other Pioneering Aviation Families Support Lindbergh’s LEAP Program Airline Traffic Up 2.2 Percent From January 2010 B/E Awarded Cabin Seat Contract On Lufthansa’s A330 And A340 Aircraft L-3 To Begin Upgrading The Navy’s EP-3E Aircraft Avionics Suite E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Program Completes Successful DAB Review GE Aviation Breaks Ground For New Research & Development Center BA Cabin Crew Strike On Hold Both Sides Believe Issues Can Be Solved FAA's Head Of ATO Resigns Amid Reports Of Controllers Falling Asleep FAA To Add Additional Staffing On The Grave Yard Shift At 27 Control Towers Grassroots Campaign To Improve Airport Passenger Security Screening Airlines Participate In ICAO Volcanic Ash Crisis Exercise Finnair Publishes More Extensive Corporate Responsibility Report Delta TechOps Expands Partnership With Evergreen Aviation Technologies Northrop’s Lake Charles Aircraft Maintenance Center Selected MRO Of The Year Eurocopter Attends LAAD 2011 Defense Show To Expand Presence In Latin America Honolulu Coast Guard Receives New MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter FAA Announces Barbados Does Not Comply With ICAO Safety Standards UAE Air Force Receives First Airbus Military A330 MRTT Grading The Guardians, NORAD Evaluations A Vital Requirement So You Think You Can Fly? Virgin Galactic Is Hiring Pilot Astronauts MAF Donor Matches Gift To Fund Two New KODIAK Aircraft Union Negotiates With US Airways To Bring Jobs Back To The U.S DOT’s OIG To Audit The FAA’s Contract Tower Program