Airline policy relating to passengers with epilepsy

C. J. Mumford and C. P. Warlow
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the policy of international airlines for the carriage of passengers with epilepsy. DESIGN: Postal questionnaire asking about policy for epileptic passengers, training of cabin crew, onboard drugs suitable for the treatment of seizures, and details of any problems reported by crews as a result of in-flight passenger seizures. PARTICIPANTS: The questionnaire was addressed to the medical advisors of 42 international airlines. RESULTS: Thirty (71%) of 42 airlines responded. Eleven (37%) of the 30 airlines that responded had a stated policy or restriction on the carriage of passengers with epilepsy. Five of these airlines advised increasing the dose of anticonvulsant drugs before travel. One airline insisted that epileptic passengers travel with a companion. Twenty-five (83%) of 30 airlines dealt specifically with epilepsy in the training program of their cabin crews. Seventeen (57%) of 30 airlines carried diazepam onboard, mostly in injectable form. Most airlines reported no, or very few, incidents of in-flight passenger seizures annually. CONCLUSIONS: The advice offered to intending epileptic passengers differs greatly between airlines. Some airlines instruct intending passengers to increase their regular medication, probably without justification, since in-flight seizures are very infrequent. Training of cabin crew and the medical equipment carried onboard also vary and in some cases are inadequate.