Speed, range, performance and cabin interiors are not the only factors in the operation of business jets. There is another aspect of flying which is generally overlooked and can radically change the whole flight experience. If due attention is paid to it, passengers and crew can not only arrive in better shape but enhance their performance at their destination.

Aviation health is fast becoming a hot topic after security and safety.  Two developments have led to

its significance: Research and political initiatives.

In 2001, the US National Research Council (NRC) published a report on the airline cabin environment and the health of passengers and crew. Among the health impacts were cabin pressure, which was kept at an equivalent of between 6,000ft to 8,000ft, resulting in a lack of oxygen of between 20 to 25 per cent; the high levels of ozone (O3), a respiratory irritant; airborne allergens; infectious agents; pesticides; deicing fluids, the leakage of hydraulic fluids and engine oils which are neurotoxins; and the low relative humidity levels of 10 to 20 per cent compared to ground levels of 50 to 60 per cent.

Three years later, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), concerned about the economic consequences of diseases such as SARS – the global cost was in the region of $100 billion – and flight-induced conditions like Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), adopted a resolution on the protection of passenger and air crew health and the spread of communicable diseases. Influenza epidemics, for example, tend to follow the air routes. Another concern was the increasing duration of international flights that may pose risks to the health of passengers and give rise to more frequent in-flight medical emergencies.

There is also the major concern of cabin air quality, which through the practice of recycling air (some 50 per cent) on modern jets can cause the transmission of diseases inflight. Research has shown that passengers are seven times more likely to catch colds than those who do not fly.

As a result of these developments, aircraft manufacturers have taken a few of these suggestions into consideration in their design of new aeroplanes. The Boeing 787 has adjusted cabin pressure and increased relative humidity. Airbus has followed suit with its A350 and there is talk that both aircraft will become quieter. Bombardier’s Global XRS has also increased its cabin pressure and Dassault’s latest generation, the Falcon 7X, aims to reduce the noise inside the cabin. Although, this is a step in the right direction, a lot more needs to be done for passengers to derive real benefits. There are several ‘healthy’ features that can

be incorporated into the environmental control system that would address these concerns.

Another aspect is the human factor and the enhancement of performance of businessmen. This will enable them to arrive in peak condition to do business and feel invigorated on their return.

Aviation Health, which was established in 1996 at the suggestion of the clinical professor of medicine, Sir David Weatherall of Oxford University, promotes the health and wellbeing of passengers worldwide. A non-profit company, it can advise owners and operators of business jets about transforming their aircraft into ‘health friendly’ jets. Together with programs that increase alertness, they will have an edge over their competitors.

Farrol Kahn, Director, Aviation Health