The Federal Aviation Administration is planning to form a panel to look into the potential risks posed by exhaustion among air traffic controllers, many of whom have been working round-the-clock schedules that have pushed them to the physical and emotional brink.

The FAA expects to announce more details about the three-member panel today, said Jeannie Shiffer, a spokesperson for the agency.

Michael Whitaker, the FAA administrator, said at a news conference Tuesday that “as far as fatigue goes, we’re taking this issue very seriously.”

The FAA is creating the panel in the wake of a New York Times investigation this month that revealed how a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers had resulted in an exhausted and demoralized workforce that was increasingly prone to making dangerous mistakes.

The Times reported that virtually all of the nation’s air traffic control sites were understaffed, forcing many controllers to work 10-hour days, six days a week.

Whitaker said on Tuesday that the FAA was trying to address the staffing shortage. “We know we need more air traffic controllers,” he said. “We’re working hard to hire from a variety of sources and keep them moving through the training pipeline.”

Investigations published by the Times this year showed how the nation’s vaunted aviation safety system, while still remarkably safe, was under mounting stress. Potentially dangerous close calls have been happening, on average, multiple times a week this year. Some air traffic controllers say they fear that a deadly crash is inevitable.

Errors by air traffic controllers have been one major factor. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, there were 503 air traffic control lapses that the FAA preliminarily categorized as “significant,” 65% more than in the prior year, according to internal agency reports reviewed by the Times. During that period, air traffic increased about 4%.

In November, a group of outside experts appointed by the FAA called for “urgent action” to address safety risks in the nation’s aviation system, highlighting issues such as air traffic control staffing and outdated technology.

Lawmakers and industry representatives have also called on the FAA to address the shortage in air traffic controllers.

On Tuesday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., sent a letter to Whitaker, urging the agency “to thoroughly review measures in place to address controller fatigue, burnout and general physical and mental well-being.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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