New BCS guidelines on Fitness to Fly launched

20 July 2010

BCS has launched a new guideline on passengers' cardiovascular Fitness to Fly. The report is the result of a working group formed by the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) at the end of 2008, at the prompting of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee. The working group was led by Dr David Smith, a Consultant Cardiologist based at the Royal Devon and Exeter Foundation Trust, and included representation from Airlines, Aviation authorities and experts from the field of Cardiology. 

The comprehensive report includes a summary table of various specific heart conditions with advice on any necessary guidance or restrictions that should be considered for the passenger, as well as a thorough review and consideration of current evidence within this area.

The Fitness to Fly report shows that there are very few heart conditions that mean that patients can't fly safely. However, passengers are advised to inform their airline of any pre-existing heart conditions that they may have and take other precautions in their preparation to fly. Whilst airlines do have the right to deny passage on the basis of a pre-existing heart condition, this report gives clear evidence that such denial is unnecessary in the vast majority of cases. This will be of great use to the travelling public and to all healthcare professionals and will mean that thousands of heart patients will be able to travel by air, reassured that expert guidelines have shown that it is safe to do so.

The report is being published in the August edition of Heart. An electronic copy of the report is available on BMJ and BCS websites. To view a full copy of the report, click here.