Precarious jobs caused by economic and political disruption are causing burnout among cabin crew

“Cabin crew keep us safe whilst flying. It is time to support better conditions for their future working lives. Stephanie Preston , Stephen Teo , John Blenkinsopp and Clare Cook ‘s study of aviation workers in Britain found that precarious jobs, inadequate management, poor union relations and unruly passengers are ruining flight attendants’ mental health. While the glamour of the golden age of flying is long gone, cabin crew are still more than high-altitude crowd control. Assisting passengers, ensuring safety and security and managing inflight services are all critical to the customer experience and the reputation of the airline. But as those firms operate on increasingly tight financial margins cabin crew work is becoming increasingly stressful. Crew must juggle demanding passengers, jet lag and chaotic schedules, often with little or no job security. The industry is often swept into politics – today the impact of disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic still lingers even as fuel shortages loom. Our study of cabin crew in Britain found that uncertainty is linked to increasing workloads and greater incidences of bullying and harassment from colleagues and passengers contributing to burnout for crew. Drawing on ideas from Conservation of Resource Theory, developed by Stevan Hobfoll in 1989, which explores stress and how this can occur when individuals experience loss or perceived loss of resources we see these interconnected losses in a sector that often struggles to balance profits and employee well-being. The deep roots of job insecurity in aviation Since the COVID-19 pandemic British airlines have operated with significantly smaller workforces of employees working struggle with fatigue on flexible contracts such as seasonal or casual part time work. Union relations in Britain are weak and business agility comes at the detriment of workers. Threats of redundancy and automation are caused by unstable markets, layoffs and efficiency drives. A report published in 2025 of the state of the industry across Europe revealed over 60 per cent of aviation staff feel drained from dealing with this instability. Living with uncertainty is challenging both financially and emotionally. Crew take on heavier workloads to try to prove they are worth keeping. Our data showed those feeling the most insecure were taking on the most work. Working in aviation requires irregular hours, intense emotional labour and exposure to diseases, all while crossing time zones and attempting to maintain a work-life balance. These factors are draining. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), a network of trade unions, finds that crew view fatigue as a “daily reality” that is not taken seriously by management. How insecurity wrecks well-being Job insecurity can damage team relationships and morale. Our findings link it to higher risks of bullying and harassment, experienced through intimidation or power grabs. Globally 70 per cent of aviation workers face regular mistreatment including verbal abuse or worse, according to the ITF. In 2025 unruly passenger incidents involving individuals who fail to respect rules, obey crew instruction or who behave in a disruptive, violent or threatening manner, happened on average once every 395 flights. Relations between managers and their subordinates can be undermined by rigid hierarchies. And ever-changing teams mean crew rarely fly with the same colleagues. For British cabin crew, heavy workloads create tension, break down relationships and lead to stress, burnout and mental health struggles. The COVID pandemic also exacerbated health anxieties for many. In our study we used items from the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire , a widely used tool that measures work-related burnout through symptoms like fatigue, trouble unwinding, feeling worn out and physical exhaustion. Crew in our study scored three out of five on average for these burnout indicators, suggesting that many were regularly battling exhaustion that went beyond just a tough shift. Workloads were scored even higher, at about 3.2 out of five, while experiences of harassment averaged 2.6 out of five. These issues are more persistent rather than occasional. Crew working across both short and long‑haul routes they were the most affected. Britain’s Health and Safety Executive views that workplace stresses are systemic risks, not just individual woes. In 2025 91 per cent of British adults reported high or extreme stress, with 20 per cent taking mental-health sick leave. Among younger adults this rose to 39 per cent. In aviation, a global union survey found 90 per cent endured shifts over ten hours, leading to ignored fatigue and stress. Another study noted that 71 per cent experienced sleep problems and 89 per cent battling exhaustion. Support as a lifeline A supportive manager can ease workload pressures and harassment. They also weaken the ties between insecurity and conflicts by enforcing fair play and anti-bullying measures. Peers can also help by sharing the load with managing customer dramas, conflicts and burnout blues (although our data did not show this as strongly as we anticipated, perhaps because rotating rosters make the creation of lasting bonds tricky). Managerial support scored lower (2.72 average) than peer support (3.66), but managers have more power in offering protective support to withstand threats such as job insecurity. Practical steps for airlines and policymakers Burnout is not just a personal issue. It is a massive organisational headache which can risk safety, create mistakes, raise costs – and drain talent. To make aviation a more appealing career airlines need stronger job protection. Artificial intelligence can help, with smarter scheduling and fatigue monitoring, complying with standards around occupational health and safety management without compromising safety. Tackling bullying with anonymous reporting, training and real consequences, drawing from international treaties recognising the right to a work environment free from violence and harassment. Managers should also be rated on their people skills and building better teams should be encouraged through more fixed groups or community forums to encourage communication and to help with problematic rostering. Policymakers and health and safety bodies in the industry should push for mental health assessments to regularly assess crew workloads and abilities whilst also identifying where support is needed to reduce risks. Towards sustainable skies Our research highlights how operational pressures are grinding down aviation workers, with job insecurity impacting employee enthusiasm and making them susceptible to stress and burnout. Having support from managers is a positive step. But stronger union relationships and fairer employment deals are needed to support better working conditions overall. In recent months geopolitical events have created further problems for the global aviation industry and its employees. Rising fuel prices due to conflict in the Middle East has increased competition for jet fuel, causing the cancellation of flights or the threat of surcharges for passengers. Some European crew are also striking over cutting of their operations. In the longer term, aviation is set for growth. But political tensions and challenges around the green transition still loom. And a healthy workforce is key for building passenger trust, ensuring safety and promoting a sustainable workforce. Cabin crew keep us safe whilst flying. It is time to support better conditions for their future working lives. This blog is based on “ Precarity and resource depletion in aviation: Job insecurity and workplace health and safety hazards”, published in Economic and Industrial Democracy This article gives the views of the author, not the position of LSE Business Review or the London School of Economics. You are agreeing with our comment policy when you leave a comment. Image credit: Krakenimages.com provided by Shutterstock. The post Precarious jobs caused by economic and political disruption are causing burnout among cabin crew first appeared on LSE Business Review .

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