Fatigue in Long-Haul Operations

Conditions

• Alertness, Fatigue, Mood, and Performance
• Calorie Restriction and Light Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Caloric restriction — BEHAVIORAL
  To reduce calorie intake during the biological night to \< 10% of calculated daily need.
• Light exposure — DEVICE
  To wear blue-enriched light emitting glasses for 20 minutes following an inflight rest break before returning to the flight deck during both outbound and return flights.

Study Details

The purpose of the present study is to test novel countermeasures to reduce fatigue among airline pilots during long-haul flight operations. The investigators will collect objective and subjective sleep, sleepiness, workload, and performance data from active-duty line pilots flying long-haul flight operations (\>8 hours). Data will be collected during days off prior to the trip start, during flights and layover, and during days off following the trip end.

Key Dates

First listed

Aug 12, 2026

Start date

Sep 30, 2026

Status verified

Aug 2026

Primary completion

Jul 31, 2029

Completion

Jul 31, 2029

Study Design

Enrollment

118 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Arms

• Experimental: Intervention (caloric restriction and light intervention)
  The intervention will involve asking pilots to reduce their calorie intake during the biological night to \< 10% of their daily need and to wear blue-enriched light emitting glasses for 20 minutes following their inflight rest break before they return to the flight deck during both outbound and return flights
• No Intervention: Control
  The control condition will involve reminding pilots about standard fatigue risk management practices that are recommended by their company.

Primary Outcome Measure

Vigilant Attention [ Time Frame: minimum of 18 days, morning, afternoon, evening and top of descent of all flights ]

Central Contacts

• Erin E Flynn-Evans, PhD, MPH
  6502793459
  [email protected]
• Nicholas G Bathurst, MA
  6506040795
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

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