Time Flies When You’re Watching the Skies? Investigating Boredom in Aviation

In aviation, routine and quiet days often lead to boredom for operators, whose roles typically involve repetitive tasks despite training for high-pressure situations. This study explored the prevalence of job boredom and boredom proneness through an online survey of N = 318 aviation professionals, primarily Air Traffic Controllers and civil pilots, from over 25 countries. The survey consisted of quantitative and qualitative methods. Results indicate widespread boredom across all aviation professions. Male operators were significantly more likely to experience boredom than female colleagues. Operators working as on the job training instructor had less boredom proneness than colleagues not having this role. No significant differences for age, cultural background and job tenure were found. Most participants evaluated boredom as an unpleasant and negative state, impacting work. Moreover, participants linked boredom primarily to work environment and task characteristics. Especially low workload conditions and lack of human interaction were consistently rated as major factors for job boredom.