Air travel health issues examined

The Committee has set out a number of recommendations, including:

• Jet lag should be studied as a confounding effect of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• The Government should explore ways to increase the research capacity in aviation health
• The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) should implement the recommendations of its own research into aircraft seating standards, and increase the minimum seat pitch to at least 28.2 inches
• The Government should also review the level of air passenger duty levied on "premium economy" seating
• The Government and airlines advise passengers on the proven benefits of good hygiene in the reduction of disease transmission, and that as part of their contingency plans airlines that are flying from areas affected by a pandemic, should provide bacterial wipes to passengers
• The Government and the Aviation Health Unit (AHU) work together with airlines and others in providing consistent air travel advice to passengers on the risks associated with self-medicating with the intention of preventing DVT.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) study is to examine VTE risk for individuals with existing risk factors, and the Committee urges the Government to continue to support this project. The Committee also believes that further investigation into the effects of fumes on pilots and others should be continued.

This Lords Science and Technology Report is a follow-up to an earlier report published on air travel and health. The Report ‘Air Travel & Health’ (HL 121), published in 2000, acted as a stimulus to further research into the health of air crew and passengers, and led to a broader examination of such issues. ‘Air Travel & Health’ (HL 121) also led to the setting up of the Aviation Health Working Group in 2001, and later the AHU, in 2003, within the CAA, which acts as a focal point for aviation health in the UK.

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