Sleeping air traffic controllers prompt FAA resignation

A senior official at the Federal Aviation Administration has resigned after disclosures that US air traffic controllers have been sleeping on the job.Hank Krakowski's resignation as director of air traffic organisation was accepted by the FAA administrator, Randy Babbitt, who said he was conducting a full review of operations."Over the last few weeks, we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the travelling public to question our ability to ensure their safety," Babbitt said. "This conduct must stop immediately."Two controllers were suspended this week in Nevada and Seattle for falling asleep on the job. One was out of radio contact while a medical flight was trying land. Two other controllers were found to have slept at work in recent months in Washington DC and Tennessee.The incidents have raised questions about adequate overnight staffing at air traffic towers. The FAA said in response to the latest incident, at Reno-Tahoe airport in Nevada on Wednesday, that it would add controllers at 27 towers.

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