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Extract

To the Editor-in-Chief

We read with interest the study by Kesapli et al.1 which reported a large series of in-flight medical emergencies aboard Eurasian flights. The authors’ analysis identified burns as the most common traumatic injury resulting in requests for urgent medical support. Burns secondary to spillage of hot liquids during periods of air turbulence may be an important contributory factor in such cases. The Federal Aviation Administration in the US has identified in-flight turbulence as the leading cause of injuries to passengers and flight attendants.2 So-called aviophobia, or fear of flying, affects as many as one in four passengers and has multiple underlying causes, not least of which is apprehension about aircraft turbulence.3 Clear-air turbulence is particularly difficult to avoid, because it cannot be anticipated by pilots or detected by on-board radar or satellites. Climate model simulations predict that transatlantic flights will experience more winter-time turbulence by the middle of this century due to anthropogenic climate change, making it likely that this issue will assume even greater importance for international travellers and the aviation industry in the future.

Issue Section:
Correspondence
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