The Federal Aviation Administration has announced new rules requiring air traffic controllers to take more time off between shifts.It follows two near-miss incidents at major Northeast airports and an expert panel's recommendations on addressing fatigue in the system. A heightened focus on air safety has emerged following close calls between planes. Just last week, a near miss at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, occurred when an air traffic controller cleared a plane to cross the same runway where another was preparing to take off, causing a scramble to stop it."We've seen these two aircraft come very close to collision. And thankfully, the air traffic controllers intervened," said Dr. Hassan Shahidi of the Flight Safety Foundation.On Monday, the FAA announced new requirements for charter and commuter airlines to implement a safety plan to identify hazards and manage risks. This announcement came shortly after the FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, stated that he is requiring air traffic controllers to get more rest between shifts."Even if we're fully staffed, the scheduling practices, as they currently are, create fatigue risk in the system. So we need to address that fatigue risk," Whitaker said.Whitaker is requiring a minimum of 10 hours off between shifts – and 12 hours for midnight shifts – following a report that raised concerns about fatigue. This is an issue that experts say needs to be addressed, since many controllers are already working six days a week."This rule is going to help make sure that they're well rested and that they're not working the overtime that they've been working in the past," Shahidi said.However, with a current shortage of air traffic controllers, the National Association representing them expressed concerns. "The immediate application of the Administrator's new rules may lead to coverage holes in air traffic facilities' schedules," the Association warned.Critics worry that the new requirements could lead to more overtime to fill those holes. The new rules are set to take effect in about three months.In response to the shortage of air traffic controllers, the FAA is accelerating hiring and plans to hire 1,800 more air traffic controllers this year. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association is urging Congress to act to address the crisis by requiring the FAA to hire the maximum number of air traffic controllers over the next five years.The FAA is currently investigating recent close calls at Reagan National and JFK airports.