Delta Air Lines Research

The Sleep/Wake Research Centre has worked with Delta Air Lines since 2008, with Philippa Gander acting as Delta’s scientific advisor on fatigue risk management. A feature of the collaboration has been the focus on developing best practice standards for studies that monitor the sleep and performance of pilots across trips (tours of duty). These include tri-partite collaboration (including the regulator, unions, and the airline), independent ethical review of all studies, and the use of a core set of standard measures that has enabled findings from different studies to be compared and data combined.

The collaboration has spanned a period of major innovation in fatigue risk management in airline operations and has helped position Delta as a recognised global leader in the new generation of data-driven fatigue risk management systems. It has also enabled the Sleep/Wake Research Centre to develop the largest-ever database of sleep and fatigue monitoring data from commercial airline pilots on long transmeridian flights, which has led to new scientific understanding of the physiological disruption that leads to fatigue-related impairment in the workplace. The reports listed below can be requested from the Sleep/Wake Research Centre, subject to permission from Delta Air Lines. Scientific publications can be accessed on line or requested from the Sleep/Wake Research Centre.

Phd Thesis: Dr Jennifer Zaslona (2017) In-Flight Sleep as a Pilot Fatigue Mitigation on Long Range and Ultra-Long Range Flights.

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Primary Investigator(s)

Professor Philippa Gander

Professor Emeritus

p.h.gander@massey.ac.nz

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Others Involved

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O'Keeffe, KM
Signal, TL
Gander, PH
Zaslona JL, O’Keeffe KM, Signal TL, Gander PH (2018) Shared responsibility for managing fatigue: Hearing the pilots. PLoS ONE 13(5): e0195530

Gander, PH
van den Berg, M
Signal, TL
Wu, L. J., Gander, P. H., van den Berg, M., & Signal, T. L. (2018). Equivalence Testing as a Tool for Fatigue Risk Management in Aviation. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 89(4), 383-388.

van den Berg M J
Gander P H
van den Berg, M. J., Wu, L. J., & Gander, P. H. (2016). Subjective Measurements of In-Flight Sleep, Circadian Variation, and Their Relationship with Fatigue. AEROSPACE MEDICINE AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE, 87(10), 869-875.

Gander P H
van den Berg M
Gander, P. H., van den Berg, M., & Wu, L. (2015). Safety Case: Allocation of In-flight Rest Breaks for 3-Pilot Crews on Flights Shorter than 14 Hours. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
van den Berg M
Signal T L
Mangie J
Gander PH, Wu LJ, van den Berg M, Signal TL, Mangie J (2014). Safety Case for Managing Fatigue Risk on Short Haul Operations that Exceed 14 CFR Part 117 Flight Time Limits, Due To Unforeseen Circumstances. Commissioned by Delta Airlines. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
van den Berg M
Mangie J
Phillips A
Wu L, Gander PH, van den Berg M, Mangie J, Phillips A (2014). Effects on Flight Crew Sleep of a 9” Taper at the Foot of the Lower Bunk in the A330-200 Rest Facility: Operational Validation Study. Report commissioned by Delta Airlines. Wellington: Massey University SWRC

Gander P H
Mulrine H
Smith A A T
Signal T L
Gander PH, Mulrine H, Wu LJ, Smith AAT, Signal TL (2014). Flight Crew Sleep, Performance, and Fatigue During Extended Duration B747-400 Operations with Multiple Transpacific Flights. Report commissioned by Delta Airlines. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
Signal T L
van den Berg M J
Mulrine H M
Jay S M
Mangie J C
Gander, P. H., Signal, T. L., van den Berg, M. J., Mulrine, H. M., Jay, S. M., & Mangie, J., C. (2013). In-flight sleep, pilot fatigue and Psychomotor Vigilance Task performance on ultra-long range versus long range flights. J Sleep Res, 22(6), 697-706.

Gander P
van den Berg M
Mulrine H
Signal L
Mangie J
Gander, P., Van Den Berg, M., Mulrine, H., Signal, L., & Mangie, J. (2013). Circadian adaptation of airline pilots during extended duration operations between the USA and Asia. Chronobiology International, 30(8), 963-972.

Gander P H
Mangie J
Gander PH, Wu LJ, Mangie J (2013). Safety Case For Managing Fatigue Risk On Boeing-777 Operations That Exceed 14 CFR Part 117 Flight And Duty Time Limits. Commissioned by Delta Airlines. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
van den Berg M J
Signal T L
Gander, P. H., van den Berg, M. J., & Signal, T. L. (2013). Evaluation of Flight crew Sleep, Performance and Fatigue during Extended Duration 757/767 Operations between the USA and Asia - Final Report [Revised]. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
van den Berg M J
Signal T L
Gander PH, van den Berg MJ, Signal TL (2012). Evaluation of Flight Crew Sleep, Performance, and Fatigue During Extended 757/767 Operations Between the USA and Asia. Report commissioned by Delta Airlines. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
van den Berg M J
Jay S
Signal T L
Gander PH, van den Berg MJ, Jay S, Signal TL (2011). Comparison of Flight Crew Sleep and Fatigue During Delta Air Lines Long Range and Ultra-Long Range Operations. Report commissioned by Delta Airlines. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
Mangie J
van den Berg M J
Signal T L
Gander, P. H., Mangie, J., Van den Berg, M. J., & Signal, T. L. (2011). Using Safety Performance Indicators to Design Monitoring Studies in an FRMS. Wellington: Massey University SWRC.

Gander P H
Mangie J
Signal T L
Thompson G
Gander, P. H., Mangie, J., Signal, T. L., & Thompson, G. (2008). Scientific and operational fatigue risk assessment of the Delta Atlanta-Mumbai-Atlanta service. Wellington: Massey University Sleep/Wake Research Centre.

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Delta Air Lines Research

2019

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