For most people, boarding a flight is routine. But for someone recovering from a heart attack in Delhi or a mother in her eighth month of pregnancy flying from Kochi to Dubai, the risks are very different. Aircraft cabins are pressurized to the equivalent of 6,000-8,000 feet altitude. Oxygen is thinner, the air is dry, and movement is limited. In Indian airports, delays and long connections can make the strain even worse.
That’s why the DGCA and airlines like IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara have medical clearance rules. If your condition isn’t stable, the airline may insist on a “fit-to-fly” certificate, or deny boarding.
Here are 20 health conditions where flying in India can be risky if not handled carefully.
1. Heart Attack Within the Last 7-10 Days
Someone recovering from a heart attack in Chennai shouldn’t be rushed onto a Delhi flight. Doctors recommend at least a week’s rest, and airlines will ask for a cardiologist’s certificate before allowing travel.
2. Unstable Chest Pain (Angina)
If chest pain strikes even at rest, flying can be dangerous. Airlines in India often stop passengers with ongoing angina symptoms until the condition is stabilized.
3. Irregular Heart Rhythms (Arrhythmias)
Sudden palpitations at 35,000 feet can be frightening. Passengers with pacemakers usually get clearance, but uncontrolled arrhythmias may require waiting and proof of stability.
4. Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is common in Indian adults. But if blood pressure isn’t under control, the risk of stroke or cardiac stress in the air rises. Airlines prefer passengers to show recent reports before flying.
5. Recent Bypass or Angioplasty
After heart surgery in cities like Mumbai or Hyderabad, passengers must wait at least a week or more. Airlines expect a surgeon’s note confirming recovery before boarding.
6. Severe Asthma or COPD
North Indian winters often trigger asthma flare-ups. If you’re wheezing or oxygen-dependent, airlines require prior notice and may arrange oxygen cylinders onboard.
7. Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, or Active Lung Infections
Airlines in India take contagious diseases seriously. A TB patient traveling from Patna to Delhi without medical clearance will almost certainly be denied boarding until treatment is underway.
8. Lung Surgery or Collapsed Lung
Trapped air pockets expand in flight. If someone had lung surgery in Bengaluru, they may need to wait weeks before taking even a short domestic trip.
9. Severe Anemia
In India, anemia is widespread, especially among women. If hemoglobin is below 8.5 g/dL, oxygen levels may dip dangerously in flight. Airlines often ask for lab reports in such cases.
10. Abdominal or Chest Surgery
Someone recovering from an appendix operation in Lucknow can’t immediately board a Kolkata flight. Cabin pressure can stress healing wounds, so a doctor’s note is essential.
11. Recent Stroke
Stroke patients need time to recover before dealing with air pressure changes. Airlines usually require 7-10 days of rest and neurologist approval before travel.
12. Epilepsy With Recent Seizures
Epilepsy is not a blanket ban. But if seizures occurred within the past few days, passengers may be refused. Stable patients on medication are usually cleared.
13. Severe Psychiatric Episodes
Air travel can worsen stress for someone in an acute psychiatric crisis. Airlines sometimes deny boarding if behavior could endanger safety, something DGCA permits.
14. Pregnancy Beyond 32-36 Weeks
Expectant mothers flying from Delhi to Dubai or Kochi to Sharjah often face airline restrictions after 32-36 weeks. A gynecologist’s certificate is compulsory even earlier for complicated cases.
15. Complicated Pregnancies
Multiple pregnancies or a history of preterm delivery require extra caution. Airlines can be stricter with these cases, sometimes restricting travel earlier than 32 weeks.
16. Contagious Illnesses (Chickenpox, Measles, Flu, COVID-19)
Airlines in India routinely turn away visibly infectious passengers to protect others. Only after a doctor certifies the passenger as non-infectious is flying allowed.
17. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or Pulmonary Embolism
Long flights from India to the US or Europe can worsen clotting risks. Doctors often recommend stockings, hydration, and walking around the cabin. Airlines may require clearance if the condition is recent.
18. Organ Transplant Recovery
After a kidney or liver transplant in hospitals like AIIMS Delhi or Apollo Chennai, patients are immunocompromised. Airlines generally expect at least two weeks’ recovery before flying.
19. Severe Liver or Kidney Disease
Passengers with advanced liver failure or dialysis dependency may face complications mid-air. Airlines often demand clearance and recommend carrying medical reports.
20. Newborn Babies Under 7 Days
Air India, IndiGo, and others don’t allow newborns under seven days to fly. Their lungs and immune systems aren’t ready for cabin conditions.
How Indian Airlines Enforce These Rules
- Fit-to-fly certificate: A doctor’s note with diagnosis, stability, and permission to fly.
- Airline guidelines: IndiGo and Air India publish detailed medical passenger rules, including waiting periods for surgeries and cardiac events.
- Captain’s authority: DGCA rules allow pilots and airlines to deny boarding if a passenger looks medically unsafe.
Suggestion for Travelers With Health Risks
- Always talk to your doctor before booking tickets.
- Carry reports, prescriptions, and medicines in your hand baggage.
- Inform the airline if you need oxygen or wheelchair support.
- On long flights, keep hydrated, stretch, and walk around if possible.
Summary – Flying Is Not Always Safe
Flying is safe for most, but it can be risky for those with unstable health. In India, where heart disease, diabetes and anemia are widespread, airlines strictly enforce medical guidelines to prevent mid-air emergencies.
If you or a family member falls into one of these 20 categories, don’t take chances. Get medical clearance, carry your reports, and plan ahead.
Source:
- https://www.airindia.com/in/en/travel-information/health-medical-assistance/flying-with-medical-conditions.html
- https://www.goindigo.in/travel-information/en/passengers-with-medical-conditions.html
