UK-based airlines British Airways and Virgin are monitoring passengers at check-in and turning them away if they appear to have swine flu.
A BA spokesman told the media there had been a ‘very small number of cases’ where people displaying symptoms have been advised not to travel.
He said: ‘Our staff are trained on what to look out for if someone has swine flu or any other communicable disease. The staff seek medical advice and anyone with swine flu would be advised they are unfit to travel. Even if they disagree with us we have the power to stop them going on board.’
A spokesman for Virgin Atlantic said people suffering from the condition and turned away would not be allowed back on board without a ‘fit to fly’ certificate from their doctor or a hospital. A spokesman for Virgin says it has not yet had any cases.
How helpful such notes might be has been questioned by medical practitioners, however. Dr Peter Holden, the British Medical Association’s lead representative on pandemic flu, told The Times: ‘A fit-note is only going to be valid at the moment of issue. You could easily become ill between leaving the GP’s surgery and reaching the airport. It flies in the face of government efforts to relieve pressure on doctors, and we have much more important work to do than this.’
P&O cruises is another company which has said its customers would be assessed by medical staff prior to boarding if they were a suspected sufferer.
However, with symptoms potentially as mild as a headache and lethargy, there remains confusion over how travellers are to know if they are suffering from swine flu.
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