Impact of COVID-19 on Job Satisfaction: The Case of Military and Airline Pilots

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the military and airline pilots’ Job Satisfaction (JS), and identify important contributory factors to support the development of future mitigating strategies. Background The aviation industry has undergone a series of devastating changes since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the implications of the pandemic on pilots’ JS are unknown. Methods Quantitative JS measurements were taken from 203 European and Middle Eastern pilots, during the pandemic (March, 2021), using the shortened Job Descriptive Index and Job In General validated scales. Follow-up semi-structured interviews (April 2021) were conducted with 16 participants to establish pre-pandemic JS levels and identify the degree of change due to COVID-19. Results Significant JS differences (p < .001) were observed between military and airline pilots; the former having higher levels. Qualitative findings revealed that airline pilots’ levels decreased due to factors such as job security, pay cuts, opportunities for promotion and skill-fade concerns. Military pilots experienced an increased JS, as state-funded organizations were not substantially affected by COVID-19, which led to a feeling of appreciation and thankfulness. Conclusion COVID-19 has caused a major disruption to JS of military and airline pilots. Suggested mitigation measures for the civil aviation sector comprised effective communication between pilots and managers to reduce the pandemic-induced job uncertainty. Solutions such as extra flight simulator sorties were recommended to tackle the skill-fade effect.