BACKGROUND: Beyond workload and specific environmental factors, flight attendants can be exposed to irregular working hours, conflicting with their circadian rhythms
and having a negative impact in sleep, fatigue, health, social and family
life, and performance which is critical to both safety and security in
flight operations.
OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on the irregular schedules of cabin crew as a trigger of
fatigue symptoms in a wet lease Portuguese airline. The aim was to analyze:
what are the requirements of the cabin crew work; whether the schedules
being observed and effective resting timeouts are triggering factors of
fatigue; and the existence of fatigue symptoms in the cabin crew.
METHODS: A questionnaire has been adapted and applied to a sample of 73 cabin
crew-members (representing 61.9% of the population), 39 females and 34
males, with an average age of 27.68 ± 4.27 years.
RESULTS: Our data indicate the presence of fatigue and corresponding health symptoms
among the airline cabin crew, despite of the sample favorable
characteristics. Senior workers and women are more affected.
CONCLUSIONS: Countermeasures are required. Recommendations can be made regarding the
fatigue risk management, including work organization, education and
awareness training programmes and specific countermeasures.
