Fatigue during flight operations challenge for aviation sector

Human fatigue among pilots and air hostesses has become a major challenge for the aviation sector as it results in their performance going below required levels as they generally have long hours of work.
Experts from various countries will gather here to discuss the issues of human fatigue during flight operations, ways to address them as well as developments in aviation medicine at an international seminar on Saturday.
The Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), in association with aviation regulator DGCA, is organising the seminar on "Advancement in Aviation Medicine and Human Fatigue".
"The seminar will focus on advancement in aviation medicine, which aims to protect the most vulnerable link in the man-machine complex, the human being," said Debasish Saha, Joint Secretary of AeSI.

Eminent speakers from International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), DRDO, the armed forces and medical institutions like the Singapore Medical Centre and Medanta would participate in the discussions.
Civil Aviation Secretary K N Srivastava, Naresh Trehan of Medanta, Airports Authority of India Chairman V P Agarwal and DGCA chief Arun Mishra would also attend.

The conference would also discuss air ambulance service which has gained practical relevance in present times.
"With the advancements in the equipment and avionics aboard both rotary and fixed wing air ambulances, there has been a gradual maturing in the understanding of the role of air ambulances in the wider healthcare context," DGCA's Deputy Director General Lalit Gupta said.

Closely linked with aviation medicine is the subject of human fatigue, which is a general term which is difficult to define medically.
"Usually thought of simply as 'tiredness', fatigue may be more aptly described as a depletion of body energy reserves, leading to below-par performance. Causes of fatigue can range from boredom to circadian rhythm disruption to heavy physical exertion," Saha said.
Studies have shown significant impairment in a person's ability to carry out tasks that require manual dexterity, concentration and higher-order intellectual processing. Enduring operations, particularly across time zones, may reduce human performance through fatigue, he said.