Travel warning as 18 medical conditions could see you banned from your flight

Although summer is well underway, the current UK weather doesn’t exactly resemble an exotic destination.

Whether you want to escape the gloom or just get a well-deserved rest abroad, you might be likely to travel by plane to your desired destination.

However, there are 18 medical conditions that could lead to you being banned from a flight.

Having one of the health problems could give an airline the right to deny you entry onto a plane.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states: “Airlines have the right to refuse to carry passengers with conditions that may worsen, or have serious consequences, during the flight.

“They may require medical clearance from their doctor if there is an indication that a passenger could be suffering from any disease or physical or mental condition that could be a hazard to the safety of the aircraft, reduce the welfare and comfort of the other passengers and crew members, require medical attention during the flight, or may be aggravated by the flight.

“If cabin crew suspect before departure that a passenger may be ill, the aircraft’s captain will be informed and a decision taken as to whether the passenger is fit to travel, needs medical attention or presents a danger to other passengers and crew or to the safety of the aircraft.

“Airline policies vary and requirements should always be checked at the time of, or before, booking the flight.”

The health body added that a good place to find information is usually the airline’s website.

According to Fit For Travel, run by the NHS, air travel is not normally advised in the following cases:

• Babies who are less than 48 hours old (longer after premature births)
• Women after the 36th week of pregnancy (or 32nd week for multiple pregnancy)
• Angina or chest pain at rest
• An infectious disease (e.g. chickenpox, flu or Covid)
• Cardiovascular disease
• Recent heart attack
• Recent stroke
• Recent operation or injury where trapped air or gas may be present in the body (e.g. stomach, bowel, eyes, face or brain)
• Severe long-term diseases that affect your breathing (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Pneumonia
• Breathlessness at rest
• Sickle cell anaemia
• Unresolved pneumothorax (punctured lung)
• Ear infection
• Decompression sickness after diving (sometimes called ‘the bends’)
• Increased pressure in the brain (due to bleeding, injury or infection)
• Plaster casts applied within 24 hours for flights less than two hours, or 48 hours for longer flights
• Unstable mental health or psychotic illness.