The Impact of Work on Pilots’ Personal Relationships: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study investigates how pilots perceive the way in which their work and shift patterns may impact upon their personal relationships. It also examines the way in which pilots cope with frequently having to form and then put on hold relationships both at home and at work. Three hundred pilots were surveyed by questionnaire to examine the impact of working in the airline industry on personal relationships. Participants were recruited over a 4-year period between 2012 and 2016 on a university’s Master’s program in Air Transport Management. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis (TA). The study found that that partner support was key in managing the demands of shift work and that having an understanding partner was the key to the relationship working. This study is representative of a single sample of mostly male pilots flying for more than 2 years. Future research may seek to use a more diverse sample.