Overworked? Leaked ATC Schedule Reveals Mandatory Overtime & 10-Hour Shifts

Published Nov 14, 2026, 4:29 PM EST Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand. His work has been published in Simple Flying and featured by MSN, SAM CHUI Aviation & Travel, EIN News, Pakistan Defence, and Climate Depot. Air traffic controller work rosters have been scrutinized and show the reality behind the shortage of air traffic controllers in the United States. The schedule, posted on X by Anna Giaritelli from the Washington Examiner, noted that controllers are scheduled to report to their facilities every single day for two weeks straight. These rosters have surfaced after the standoff between controllers and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where a 2.8% pay rise was approved but stalled by the Administrator, Bryan Bedford. The roster identifies that the controller was working through September 20 to October 3, and the only nominal day off was a Friday, but began on a midnight shift. No Interrupted Leave Days Across Two Weeks Credit: Paparacy | Shutterstock With 14 consecutive days on duty, the rosters identify that the schedule break immediately followed a Saturday night shift, beginning the evening prior at 9:00 PM. This resulted in the controllers reporting on every single calendar day for two weeks. Across the single week, there is a Rattler Shift, which sees controllers start at 1:00 PM and work mandatory overtime throughout the week. Across other rosters, mandatory overtime turns a five-day standard rotation into a six-day workweek, with backwards rotating start times dropping from afternoon shifts to early mornings within a matter of days. The shortfall of more than 3,000 controllers needed across the country highlights the deficit, with the staffing levels falling below the 85% minimum threshold at 20 of the 26 busiest airports and facilities. Fatigue Risk: 60 Hour Workweek Credit: Wulan by Wulandar | Shutterstock Chronic understaffing results in long shifts across consecutive days. Pushing controllers to their limit. This has led fatigue rules to mandate a minimum of ten hours off between standard shifts, and 12 hours off before midnight shifts. Despite this, controllers and union leaders have warned that the relentless overtime will leave not enough time for individuals to rest. Tensions have continued to strain since the 2.8% pay rise was withheld, benchmarking controllers to spend at least five hours of an eight-hour shift actively working traffic positions. This has been argued that controllers should spend more time on each shift on radar or tower scopes. National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and controllers have pushed back, noting that the non-scope time is required for mandatory weather briefings, training, and federally mandated recuperative breaks following high-stress radar sessions. This withholding of the raise after years of mandatory six-day workweeks has accelerated the retirement or attrition of those in the agency while it struggles to rebuild the workforce. Why Air Traffic Controller Shortages Matter For Travelers Credit: Rob Atherton | Shutterstock Controller staffing and fatigue can directly shape the ongoing daily airline reliability and the system's resilience should a disruption hit. At understaffed facilities, an absence of just one or two workers could force the FAA to limit arrival or departure rates at major airports, like New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Los Angeles (LAX), or Atlanta (ATL). These limitations can force ground stops or ground delay programs even on clear-weather days. The compounding strain during these outages sees the FAA already operating to its limit of staffing capacity and facing legacy systems and aging telecommunications infrastructure that is vulnerable, as highlighted by the Friday nationwide router outage that left airlines grounded across the country, displacing millions, canceling more than 10,000 flights, and leaving airline crew timed out and aircraft stranded. With a 3,000 controller shortfall and a stalled 2.8% raise, airports continue to operate to the limit of the required staff thresholds. The intense work schedules put into question how these professionals continue to work to a high quality under high-pressure environments. Aging infrastructure, a long-standing deficit, federal government shutdowns, and a rigorous multi-year training pipeline show the vulnerability of the air traffic control system. The massive communications and radar failure on Friday saw the historic nationwide ground stop, which affected millions of passengers. Less than 10% of US airport control towers remain fully staffed.