Every year, over one billion people travel by air and that figure is predicted to double in the next decades. Air travel is a comfortable and safe means of transport and is accessible to all sectors of the population. The global increase in travel, as well as an increasingly aged population, means that there may be a significant increase in older passengers and those with an illness who wish to travel for tourism or even to see and meet their beloved ones. Flight delays or diversions due to boarded ill passenger have serious impact on the airline scheduling capacity. crew legibility and other passengers needs and commitment. Therefore, it's very important to educate the ill passenger about their fitness to fly by air, and their medical needs during travel especially long haul fights. A lethal cocktail of ill passenger that might aggravate a pre-existing stable chronic medical condition is the need to reach the airport, check in through the counter long queues, immigration and security lines. Many of the guest passengers are not aware of the environmental changes in the cabin during high altitude and long hour flights. A decrease in the atmospheric pressure, would lead to a drop of oxygen inside the cabin, low humidity and decrease in the temperature. All these cabin changes may lead to exacerbation of a pre-existing medical condition or to a provocation of new one especially among elder passengers. In spite that all flights of SAUDIA airlines are equipped with doctor emergency kits (DEKs), automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and other 3 emergency tools for the use of non-doctor passengers, delays and diversion still an inevitable possibility, but mitigation is an option. Similar to the other big airlines in the region and world wise, The Medical Services SBU, has made a time table scheme which will virtually guide ill passengers travelling on board SAUDIA Airlines about their estimated recovery time, their needs prior to travel and during the fight. The scheme will be accessible to passengers through different SAUDIA media including:
Screen displays in sale points, airport counters and reservation offices
Small leaflets for Saudia staff at the sales points and reservation offices
Pamphlet to ill passengers explaining the needs of filling the MEDIF.
The following scheme, contains table of, some of the common medical conditions which may cause potential delay or diversion. Each medical condition, has the estimated period of recovery and Saudia requirement if any.
Communicable Diseases
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
None contagious
None
There's still pus discharging from the eye and not responding on antibiotics
Bacterial conjunctivitis
All lesions are dried and crusted
None
With active lesions, present
Chicken pox/ shingles
None contagious
Mandatory
Visited epidemic arears within the last 6 months
Ebola virus
None contagious
None
Within 7 days after the onset of the rash
German mistakes rubella
Required
HIV Virus
Travel not recommended unless an appropriate treatment and covered in watertight dressings
If unsure
If not on treatment or if blisters uncovered
Impetigo
Travel not suitable for those displaying obvious signs of influenza /unwell
required
If symptomatic (eg.fever , cough, aches and pains )
Influenza
Negative swab
Mandatory
If symptomatic
MERS/ Corona virus
If swelling is still preset after 10 days or unwell
Less then 10 days after onset of swelling
mumps
Travel not suitable until day after treatment has begun
If swelling is still present after 10 days or unwell
If not treated or just in the first day of treatment
Scabies
All cases of tuberculosis must have a travel clearance from completed. Passengers with tuberculosis will not be cleared until their treating physician can confirm that they are not infection or can present a medical report.
If infectious
Tuberculosis
May travel after 7 days of effective antibiotic therapy
If on ongoing effective antibiotic therapy longer than 7 days
Within 3 weeks from the onset of the whoop (if not on treatment) or within 7 days of effective antibiotic therapy
Whooping cough/ pertussis
Cardiovascular conditions
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Must be stable and no angina at rest
Control achieved only (within recently 14 days)
Unstable angina
Angina/ chest pain due to heart problems
Must be stable
Within 14-21 days or with complications
Within last 10 days
Myocardial infarction / heart attack
If borderline, medical oxygen maybe necessary
If cardiac failure is controlled and stable
Uncontrolled heart failure
Health failure
Does not include benign arrhythmias
Within 21-14 days
Within 10 days
Serious cardiac arrhythmia / irregular heart beat
Within 10 days
48 hours after placement
With pacemakers
21 days
Less than 48 hours
Angiography
21 days
7 days or less
Angioplasty with or without stent
14-21 days (CABG and value surgery)
14 days or less
Cardiac surgery
Stable an oral anticoagulants
On anti-coagulants
If active
Thrombophlebitis of legs
Stable anticoagulation and PAD2 normal on room air
14-21 days
Onset of 7 days or less
DVT/pulmonary embolism or risk of DVT
Stable
Chronic disease
Hgp less than 8.5 mg/dl
Anemia
Always need oxygen supplement
14 days and over
Sickling crisis in previous 14 days
Sickle cell disease
Respiratory conditions
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Must have no air on chest cavity on chest x-ray
14-21 days after full inflation
10 days or less after full inflation
Pneumothorax hem pneumothorax
stable
14-21 days
14 days or less
Chest surgery e.g., lobectomy
Full recovered or if -ray signs persist, must have be symptom -free
Within 7 days of resolution- complications or on-going symptoms
Acute, symptomatic
Pneumonia
Supplementary oxygen maybe required in flight
If unstable or poor exercise tolerance of less than 50 meters' recent exacerbation (10 days)
Cyanosis on the ground despite supplementary oxygen unresolved recent exacerbation
COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural effusion and hemothroax
Must be stable and have medication with them
Severe episode or hospitalization within 72 hours
Recent sever attack within 72 hours
asthma
Neurological conditions
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Must be stabilized
7-10 days
less than 3 days
Transient Ischemic Attack
Must be self-sufficient otherwise escort /carers required
7-14 days
Less than 7 days
Stroke
stable
Within 7 days of last fit
Less than 24 hours or unstable
Grand mal fir/ epilepsy
Cranium must be free of air
10-21 days
10 days or less
Cranial surgery
Psychiatric conditions
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Proving stable for days. Travel may be approved with suitable medical escort / carers
Within 14 days of unstable episode or hospitalization
If unstable
Acute psychosis (e.g. mania, schizophrenia during induced)
Eye conditions
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Any gas in globe must be reabsorbed
14-21 days
14 days or less
Penetrating eye injury
3-7 days
less than 72 hours
Cataract surgery
3-7 days
Less than 72 hours
Corneal laser surgery
Pregnancy and Newborn
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Risk of labor must be minimal note: after 28th weeks of pregnancy every passenger must carry at all times, a letter from a doctor or midwife outlining estimated date of delivery. Single or multiple pregnancy. Absence of complications and fitness to fly
Any pregnancy with complications will require a medical clearance
Single pregnancy -after the 36th week Multiple pregnancy-after the 32nd week
Pregnancy – flight greater than 4 hours
Risk of labor must be minimal note: after 28th weeks of pregnancy every passenger must carry at all times, a letter from a doctor or midwife outlining estimated date of delivery. Single or multiple pregnancy
Absence of complications and fitness to fly
Any pregnancy with complications will require a medical clearance
Single pregnancy -after the 40th week Multiple pregnancy-after the 36nd week
Pregnancy- flight less than 4 hours
Must be stable. No bleeding and no pain for at least 24 hours
Within 7 days of bleeding
With active bleeding
Miscarriage (threatened or complete)
Risl of hypoxia if respiratory system not fully developed
3-7 days or with history of complications or premature birth
Less than 48 hours
New born
Trauma
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Must be split if less than 4 hours prior to departure
Full plaster cast
Must be medically stable and well in other aspects
Within 10 days of burn or surgical treatment
If still shocked or with widespread infection or greater than %20 total body surface area
burns
Miscellaneous
Remarks for treating doctor's information
Required Saudia travel Clearance form
Absolutely not suitable for travel
Medical condition
Medical condition may require stretcher, escort/carers or oxygen. Will not accept passengers at risk of dying during flight
You are exiting SAUDIA website ,that lands on external website which may or may not meet the accessibility guidelines . If you want to proceed select "Proceed to external link" else Press "Cancel".