Are Single-Pilot Operations An Advantage Or A Disadvantage?

Abstract

Verbatim from Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons. Not paraphrased, not summarized.

This study aims to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of Single-Pilot Operations (SPO) and to provide actionable insights for commercial airlines. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected via online interviews and analyzed thematically and descriptively using MAXQDA 24. The findings indicate that pilots perceive several advantages of SPO, including the power of automation, learning artificial intelligence, minimizing human error, cockpit systems designed for artificial intelligence, more effective decision-making/speed-up in response time, reduced labor costs, reduced pilot fatigue, and reduced need for human factor/performance. Conversely, the perceived disadvantages include diminished lack of situational awareness, lack of communication and coordination, lack of cognitive flexibility, negative impact on passenger psychology, increased workload for ground operations, and lack of need to exercise authority/take initiative. Among these, the most frequently cited advantages were power of automation and learning artificial intelligence, whereas reduced pilot fatigue and reduced need for human factor/performance were least mentioned. Similarly, lack of situational awareness and the lack of crew communication and coordination were the most frequently reported disadvantages, while lack of need to exercise authority/take initiative was least mentioned. Notably, a key contribution of this study is the identification of interrelationships between advantages and disadvantages, which may have important cause and effect implications for operational safety. These findings underscore the need for a holistic evaluation of SPO, considering the interactions between technological, humanistic, and organizational factors.

Author

• ERME, Ezgi Berte Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Keywords

• single-pilot
• aviation
• human-machine interaction
• safety
• Aviation Safety and Security
• Human Factors Psychology
• Other Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Personality and Social Contexts