Travel health study in commercial aircrew members

Aircrew members of airlines are exposed to travel risks. The objectives of our study are to assess the experience of aircrews about these risks and their knowledge about prevention means.

We conducted an observational qualitative study in commercial aircrews at the aeromedical center of Percy Military Hospital between November 2018 and June 2019.

200 aircrews answered the questionnaire, 54% of which were pilots, 91% work on long and/or medium-haul flights, 82.5% of airmen are concerned by their immunization status. Vaccination rate varied according to the vaccine. Two third of airmen usually go to malaria-endemic countries, 12% of respondents use antimalarial treatment in such infected countries, while 93.5% protect themselves against mosquito bites mainly with insect repellent. In case of a fever after a stay in a malaria-endemic country, only 51.5% of respondents immediately think about acute malaria. Aircrews are very motivated by their job but 58% of them feel tired probably linked to quality of sleep and effects of jet-lag, with a statistically significant difference between pilots and cabin crews (43% vs 75% [p < 0.01]).

Aircrew members know a lot about travel issues. Malaria remains a major concern for aircrews, but it is necessary to maintain information about this topic throughout their career and to provide them with repellents, what many airlines actually do. Fatigue management is also important for airmen, so as they use different technics to accelerate recovery. Some airlines try to help them with a guide for aircrew fatigue management. This particular population involved in flight safety has few risky behaviors; nevertheless, alcohol misuse and drug use are screened during medical examinations and by airlines.