Is There a Relationship Between Pilot Stress and Short- and Long- Haul Flights?

Abstract

Past studies have been conducted to identify whether short-haul (SH) or long-haul (LH) pilots experience a higher level of stress during a single flight. An extensive literature review revealed high stress levels in both groups (i.e., LH pilots were more stressed than SH pilots, and vice versa). To investigate these mixed results, quantitative and qualitative survey data were collected from 49 international commercial airline pilots from various countries in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and in North America. The General Health Questionnaire–12 (GHQ-12) was used to measure the stress levels of pilots during the pandemic. The study found that there was no significant difference between the stress levels of SH pilots compared to the stress levels of medium-, long-, and ultra long-haul pilots. To further investigate stress levels, pilots’ qualitative responses indicated that 75.5% of pilots were impacted by factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased stress associated with the uncertain future of the aviation industry, and income instability. In summary, this study aims to raise the attention of industry stakeholders such as aviation authorities and airlines of the need for targeted initiatives to support pilots who are most vulnerable to high-stress levelsas.