In the wake of several high-profile issues with air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association have put together new guidelines to combat on-the-job fatigue.
According to the new guidelines, air traffic controllers must report for work properly rested and mentally alert.
Employees are now responsible for notifying their supervisor if they are too fatigued to perform. Additionally, if an employee feels unable perform properly, they can now request to immediate leave. The new policies have eliminated single-staffed midnight shifts to allow for additional breaks and allay potential fatigue issues.
To combat fatigue on the night shift, air traffic controllers are now allowed to listen to the radio and read “appropriate printed material” as traffic permits between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. At press time, the FAA has not returned calls from Peter Greenberg Worldwide to clarify what constitutes “appropriate material” and what are acceptable traffic levels.
The FAA previously adjusted its schedule policy to require a minimum of nine hours off in between shifts to guarantee proper rest. Controllers are now expressly prohibited from napping on shift or during their breaks.
Presumably, the Miss TSA 2011 Pin-Up Calendar would not be allowed.
The FAA updated the guidelines as its proposed new air traffic control system, Next Generation, is at a financial crossroads. Next Generation, or NextGen, would revolutionize air traffic control by replacing satellite technology with a GPS system.
GPS-based air traffic control would have planes continually broadcast their exact positions to air traffic control and other surrounding planes. The up-to-the-minute information would allow for more direct flight paths and more efficient take off and landing protocol.
Both Congress and U.S. airlines are currently unable to fully fund this program, which would cost $22 billion for the government and another $20 billion for the airlines to be spent out of their budgets before 2025.
Though Congress and the Obama administration have release statements in support of NextGen, proposed budget cuts would reduce the FAA budget by $1 billion a year over the next four years.
Delta, Continental and Southwest have all said they are not looking to invest in new technology until their existing technology is properly used and the government has a more secure funding plan.
Europe and Asia is also moving ahead to implement similar GPS technology. The FAA has set 2020 as the deadline for airlines to have parts of the the NextGen system installed but there is no deadline for the program’s completion and the major funding questions currently remain unanswered.
By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: FAA.gov, USA Today, CNN, Associated Press, Washington Post
Related Links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Air Traffic Controller Mistakes Double As Serious Safety Incidents Reported
- Despite O’Hare Near-Miss, Airlines Balk At Paying For Air Traffic Upgrades
- Air Traffic Control Staffing Concerns & Frequent Flier Face-Lifts
- FAA’s Chief Air Traffic Control Officer Resigns In Wake Of Sleeping Controller Scandals
- Washington’s Reagan National Airport Air Traffic Controller Allegedly Falls Asleep, Putting Planes At Risk
- Sleeping Air Traffic Controllers: What Needs To Be Done In Aviation Safety
