The US FAA has named its chief counsel David Grizzle as the new chief operating officer of its Air Traffic Organisation (ATO).

Former ATO head Hank Krakowski resigned in April in the wake of several high profile incidents of air traffic controllers reportedly sleeping on the job.

Grizzle has been serving as interim head of the ATO since Krakowski's departure.

"David is the right person to take on this critical challenge. He has a unique ability to manage complex situations and the leadership skills to bring people together and get the job done," said US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Grizzle is responsible for leading FAA's 35,000 air traffic controllers, technicians and support personnel that run the US air traffic control system.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news