WASHINGTON: The US Federal Aviation Administration announced Saturday it is overhauling work rotations of air traffic controllers after yet another controller fell asleep on a midnight shift.
The FAA said it will prohibit "scheduling practices that have been identified as those most likely to result in air traffic controller fatigue." The changes are to be implemented within days.
The announcement followed the suspension early Saturday of an air traffic controller who fell asleep on duty during the overnight shift at the control center in Miami.
The unidentified controller did not miss any calls from aircraft, the FAA said, but it was the latest in a string of similar incidents that led to the resignation Thursday of the FAA's head air traffic control, Hank Krakowski.
Even President Barack Obama weighed into the fray Thursday, seeking to reassure Americans that he was on top of the situation. He told ABC News: "We've got it under control."
On the latest incident, the FAA said Saturday that 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."
Unlike most of the other cases, in which controllers nodded off while alone, the Miami tower had 12 controllers on duty and two managers. The incident was reported to a manager by another controller.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said he is discussing the scheduling changes with the National Air Traffic Controllers Union and will announce more details soon.
"We are taking important steps today that will make a real difference in fighting air traffic controller fatigue," Babbitt said in a statement. "But we know we will need to do more. This is just the beginning."
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood added: "We are taking swift action to ensure the safety of our aviation system. There is no excuse for air traffic controllers to be sleeping on the job."
The FAA said on Wednesday it would add a second overnight controller to towers that were staffed by just one. That came on the same day a controller at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada fell asleep, forcing a medical plane carrying an ill patient to land without any guidance.
Last month, two jets carrying a total of 165 people landed without help at Reagan National Airport outside Washington because the lone controller on the night shift had fallen asleep.
The FAA also revealed that another air traffic controller at a Seattle airport fell asleep several times, most recently during a morning shift on Monday.
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