Assessment of pilot fatigue risk on international flights under the prevention and control policy of the Chinese civil aviation industry during the COVID-19

• Published in: Journal of air transport management Vol. 112; p. 102466
• Main Authors: Sun, Jun-ya, Liao, Yang, Lu, Fei, Sun, Rui-shan, Jia, Hong-bo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2023
• Subjects: COVID - 19; Empirical experimental validation; Exemption policy; FAID quantum software; Fatigue risk level; Numerical simulation; FAID quantum software; Empirical experimental validation; Exemption policy; Numerical simulation; COVID - 19; Fatigue risk level
• ISSN: 0969-6997; 1873-2089
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2023.102466

To predict the fatigue risk of pilots of international flights in the Chinese civil aviation industry flying under the new operating model during the COVID-19 outbreak, and provide scientific audit materials for airlines to the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The FAID Quantum software model was used as a scientific analysis tool for pilot's fatigue risk prediction, while the KSS fatigue self-assessment scale and the PVT objective detection of pilot fatigue risk were used in an empirical experimental research method to conduct a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the fatigue risk of flight crews under both the CCAR-121 and exemption policies before and after the COVID-19 epidemic. At the same time, the applicability of the exemption policy is validated based on the comparison results under the two policies. In terms of FAID model simulation results, 7.37705% of the flight time for pilots operating under the CCAR-121 policy was obtained to be in the fatigue risk concern tier, compared to 0% for pilots operating under the exemption policy. In addition, there were fewer data for pilots with KSS scores above 6 for exemption policy flights compared to CCAR-121 policy, while exemption policy broke the KTL limit for less time than CCAR-121 policy. The average time level of pilot fatigue attainment under exemption policy operations was higher than the target level and the operation level set by CCAR-121 policy. Empirical results from both the KSS subjective fatigue self-assessment method and the PVT objective alertness test confirm that the overall level of flight crew fatigue risk under the exemption policy is lower or similar to the level of flight crew fatigue risk under the CCAR-121 policy. By comparing FAID Quantum model simulations and empirical experimental validation under both CCAR-121 and exemption policies, it is verified that the fatigue risk level of pilot crews under exemption policy is lower than that under CCAR-121 policy, and it is feasible to implement exemption policy during the COVID-19 epidemic. •The exemption policy is response to the COVID-19 outbreak.•The exemption policy has not increased pilot fatigue on long-haul international flights.•Based on the model simulation and empirical results confirm the exemption policy.