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British Airways flightdeck mortality study, 1950-1992.
1British Airways Health Services, Harmondsworth, Uxbridge, England.
Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine
|June 18, 1999
Summary
British Airways flight deck crew demonstrated increased life expectancy compared to the general population. Mortality patterns did not reveal occupation-specific risks, except for a raised melanoma risk in pilots.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
- Aviation Medicine
Background:
- Previous studies indicated potential elevated cancer risks in aviation personnel.
- Understanding long-term health outcomes for flight deck crew is crucial for occupational health surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess mortality rates and life expectancy in male British Airways flight deck crew.
- To re-evaluate previously observed excesses in brain/CNS cancer, colon cancer, and melanoma mortality.
Main Methods:
- Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) study comparing pilots and flight engineers to the England and Wales population (1950-1992).
- Internal relative risk analysis comparing shorthaul and longhaul operations.
- Inclusion of 6209 male pilots and 1153 male flight engineers employed for at least one year.
Main Results:
- All-cause SMRs confirmed the Healthy Worker Effect for both pilots (61) and flight engineers (56).
- Elevated melanoma SMR (333) observed in pilots, but not flight engineers; brain/CNS and colon cancer SMRs were no longer significant.
- Life expectancy was 4-5 years greater for longhaul pilots/engineers and 2-3 years greater for shorthaul pilots compared to the general population.
Conclusions:
- Flight deck crew exhibit longer life expectancy than the general population.
- Observed mortality patterns are not directly attributable to occupation, with the exception of melanoma in pilots.