Air travel is an exotic endeavor. Advertisements often promote the appeal of travelling to a different location for a holiday. With the advent of low airfares in the 1980s, more and more individuals have taken the opportunity to see parts of the world that were previously out of reach. Recent events and their promotion in the newspapers, though, raise the possibility that individuals may be at some harm from air travel. Several case reports exist, for example, that note a medical emergency occurring during a flight. What are the health risks associated with air travel? This lecture discusses the current understanding regarding these risks.

The author, Thomas Songer, is an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the Center for Injury Research and Control at the University of Pittsburgh and is an irregular airline flyer.