FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-09/24

Title and Subtitle: Flight Attendant Fatigue, Part I: National Duty, Rest, and Fatigue Survey

Report Date: December 2009

Authors: Avers KB, King SJ, Nesthus TE, Thomas S, Banks J

Abstract: Today�s aviation industry is a 24/7 operation that produces a variety of challenges for cabin crew members including extended duty periods, highly variable schedules, frequent time zone changes, and increased passenger loads. While these operational requirements may be necessary, they are far from ideal with respect to the human body�s biological rhythms for managing sleep and alertness. In fact, acute sleep loss, sustained periods of wakefulness, and circadian factors resulting from this form of misalignment all contribute to fatigue and fatigue-related mishaps (Caldwell, 2005; Rosekind et al., 1996).

This survey study was conducted to identify the specific operational factors that may contribute to fatigue in cabin crew operations. A retrospective survey was disseminated to flight attendants representing 30 operators (regional = 17, low-cost = 7, and network = 6). The survey addressed 7 main topics: work background, workload and duty time, sleep, health, fatigue, work environment, and general demographics.

Participants were 9,180 cabin crewmembers who voluntarily and anonymously completed the survey and met the criteria to be included in the report (i.e., active flight attendant that had flown the previous bid period with their current airline). This report outlines the results of this survey and provides specific recommendations regarding fatigue issues in cabin crew operations.

Key Words: Fatigue, Flight Attendant, Survey, Duty Time, Workload, Scheduling

No. of Pages: 23