Sleep and sleepiness during an ultra long-range flight operation between the Middle East and United States
Abstract
This study provides a practical example of fatigue risk management in aviation. The sleep and sleepiness of 44 pilots (11 trips × 4 pilot crew) working an ultra long-range (ULR; flight time >16 h) round-trip operation between Doha and Houston was assessed. Sleep was assessed using activity monitors and self-reported sleep diaries. Mean Karolinska Sleepiness Scores (KSS) for climb and descent did not exceed 5 ("neither alert nor sleepy"). Mean daily sleep duration was maintained above 6.3h throughout the operation. During in-flight rest periods, 98% of pilots obtained sleep and sleepiness was subsequently reduced. On layover (49.5h) crew were advised to sleep on Doha or Universal Co-ordinated Time (UTC), but 64% slept during the local (social) night time. Pilots originating from regions with a siesta culture were more likely to nap and made particularly effective use of their daytime in-flight rest periods. The results indicate that the operation is well designed from a fatigue management perspective.
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Sleep disorders screening in addition to circadian approaches and scheduled napping has shown effectiveness in improving safety.
“To address these concerns, sleep disorders screening in addition to circadian approaches and scheduled napping have shown effectiveness in improving safety.189–197”
From Sleep, Health, and Society (2017) · cites this paper as [193]
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- Authors
- Holmes, A., Al-Bayat, S., Hilditch, C., & Bourgeois-Bougrine, S.
- Affiliations
- Qatar Airways (Qatar) (QA)
- Corresponding author
- Holmes, Alexandra
- ORCID
- Hilditch, Cassie
- Venue
- Accident Analysis & Prevention
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-03
- Volume
- 45
- Pages
- 27-31
- ISSN
- 0001-4575 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2093490057
- Cited by
- 46
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 2.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Accident Analysis & Prevention (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Human-Automation Interaction and Safety
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Keywords
- pilot fatigue, sleep, sleepiness, fatigue risk management, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, napping, sleep duration
- MeSH terms
- Aerospace Medicine, Aviation, Circadian Rhythm, Fatigue, Humans, Middle East, Sleep, Sleep Deprivation, United States, Work Schedule Tolerance, Statistics, Nonparametric
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