Younger pilots and those without airline transport pilot (ATP) certificates were more likely than older, ATP pilots to suffer damage to their well-being during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of U.S. physicians and medical researchers says.
The researchers — from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Mayo Clinic — based their conclusions on the results of a survey, completed by 639 professional pilots between June 17 and Aug. 2, 2021; the report on their findings was published in the October issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance.1
“The uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has likely led to increased rates of anxiety and depression on a global scale,” the report said. “The pilot population has experienced an unprecedented time of change, especially early in the pandemic.”
The report noted that layoffs and furloughs forced many pilots into temporary jobs unrelated to…
