How duty changes affect the ATCO roster

A change to one ATCO duty can affect rest and working time across several days. Review the full sequence against the organisation’s requirements before approving the change.

A schedule alone cannot establish how fatigued an individual is. Numerical roster checks should therefore be used alongside the organisation’s established procedures.

See the full sequence

Review shift timing and duration, consecutive duties, breaks, rest between duties and night work. Consider actual worked hours as well as the published plan, particularly after overtime or last-minute changes.

The applicable limits should come from the organisation’s approved requirements. There is no single pattern or limit in this article that applies to every ATC unit.

Connect the policy and the checks

SkyRoster supports rotation patterns defined as sequences of shift types. Planners can configure supported rules for worked time, rest and working-position allocation, including restrictions on particular position sequences.

The engine evaluates proposed rosters against that configuration. Planners remain responsible for reviewing the result and handling situations where available staff cannot meet demand within the configured requirements.

See what a request changes

Preferences and leave requests give employees a way to raise scheduling needs. Shift-swap workflows provide a structured process for proposing and approving changes.

A swap or requested day off is not automatically an appropriate response to a fatigue concern. Apply the organisation’s reporting and approval procedures, and check how the change affects the surrounding duties and coverage.

Review distribution over time

Weekend, public-holiday and night duties can be included in distribution objectives. Agree how those objectives should be measured and review outcomes over a suitable period, accounting for qualifications, availability and contract differences.

For further detail, see ATC rostering requirements and guidance and how the engine works.

Updated September 2026: unsupported study statistics and health conclusions have been removed. The article now focuses on scheduling processes and the limits of software support.