A recent New Zealand study of almost 900 passengers has
shown that up to one in 100 long-haul fliers could develop
blood clots, and wearing compression stockings, taking
aspirin and travelling business class may not help.

The press release says: “New Zealand researchers
tested almost 900 passengers who took long-haul flights
over a six-week period. The subjects travelled for at least
10 hours and each flew an average of 39 hours. They
discovered nine cases, four of pulmonary embolism and five
of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which involves the formation
of blood clots which can cause death if they invade the
lungs or brain.

Seventeen percent of the passengers in the study by the
Medical Research Institute of New Zealand wore compression
stockings to aid circulation. Thirty-one percent took
aspirin to thin the blood and reduce the risk of
thrombosis”. The conclusion is that all air
travellers are at risk and not just those in economy class.
The team carrying out the research even suggested renaming
‘economy class syndrome’ to ‘traveller’s
thrombosis.’

During recent court action, victims have blamed cramped
aircraft cabins for their blood clots and argued that
airlines have known of the risks for years but failed to
warn people. A British court recently agreed with the
airlines, which claimed that DVT was not an accident under
the 1929 Warsaw Convention that governs international air
travel.

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