FAA will require more rest time for air traffic controllers

An American Airlines Airbus A319 airplane takes off past the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, January 11, 2023Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty ImagesThe head of the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday said the agency will increase the required amount of rest time for air traffic controllers in response to concerns over fatigue amid a staffing shortage.The changes, which would take effect within 90 days, would require controllers to have at least 10 hours of rest between shifts, up from nine hours, and 12 hours of rest before an overnight shift.»In my first few months at the helm of the FAA, I toured air traffic control facilities around the country — and heard concerns about schedules that do not always allow controllers to get enough rest,» FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. «With the safety of our controllers and national airspace always top of mind for FAA, I took this very seriously — and we’re taking action.»The changes come as pressure on the FAA grows to improve air travel safety amid a spate of close calls at airports, as well as mechanical problems at some airlines and production problems at Boeing.A shortfall of air traffic controllers, made worse by a pause in hiring during the Covid-19 pandemic, has led to forced overtime and packed schedules for staff at some facilities. The agency hired 1,500 controllers last year and plans to hire 1,800 this year. Air traffic controllers in the U.S. are required to retire at age 56.The announcement came alongside an FAA-ordered report on air traffic controller fatigue, which recommended the new rest requirements.Don’t miss these exclusives from CNBC PROThursday’s biggest analyst calls: Tesla, Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, eBay, Zoom, JetBlue, BJ’s & moreIf you’re worried about a correction and over-invested in Nvidia, replace it with these steady growth stocks insteadIt may be time for investors to sell Nvidia on the next bounce, according to the chartsWall Street is bullish on copper, thanks to AI. Analysts love these stocks, giving one 234% upside’Hard to Ignore’: Jefferies says this cybersecurity stock could double after 75% rise in the past year A four-day work week could be coming as AI proliferates — and these companies could capitalize


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