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FAA to Crack Down on Overweight Pilots

Agency worried about related sleep problems
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 20, 2013 4:04 PM CST
FAA to Crack Down on Overweight Pilots
   (Shutterstock)

Plus-size pilots and air-traffic controllers will soon be getting some extra attention from the FAA. Under a new policy, overweight pilots and controllers must get checked out for a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea, reports USA Today. The worry is that if they get lousy sleep at night, they won't be as sharp while at work or, worse, might even fall asleep on the job.

The agency will start with pilots with a BMI of 40, and Fox News offers a ballpark: That would apply to a 6-foot man who weighs about 300 pounds. Once all the 40-BMIs are checked, the FAA will start looking at those with BMIs of 30. CNN estimates that the order will apply to about 125,000 commercial and private pilots. Those diagnosed with the apnea disorder will need treatment before being allowed to fly again. (More FAA stories.)

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