Qantas first airline in the world to introduce exercise video to help prevent DVT

Melbourne: Qantas has become the first airline in the world to launch an exercise video on all its international flights to help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The four-minute exercise video was developed by academics at the University of Melbourne in a partnership with Physitrack, a global health-tech provider, and Sports Medicine Australia's official exercise technology partner. Sports Medicine Australia has endorsed the exercise video.

is aircraft cabin air toxic?

TheConversation: Following the death of commercial airline pilot Richard Westgate, an inquest was launched into the cause of his death. Westgate had previously claimed that his health problems were caused by exposure to on board toxic chemicals and a subsequent coroner’s report raised concerns with the pilot’s employers, British Airways, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), regarding the health effect of aircraft cabin air on aircraft occupants. Both organisations have responded to the report and stress that they take the matter of cabin air quality very seriously but that scientific evidence had not established a risk to ill-health. The investigation is ongoing and the inquest has not yet been heard.

Flying high means more melanoma

JAMA: US scientists have pooled data from previous studies on the incidence of melanoma in airline pilots and flight crew, who are are exposed to higher levels of cosmic and UV radiation than the general population. They report that flight crew have approximately twice the incidence of melanoma compared with the general population, and say that further research into better protection from cosmic radiation is needed. According to a recent study, airline pilots and cabin crew are occupationally exposed to higher levels of cosmic and UV radiation than the general population, but their risk of developing melanoma was not yet established.