You should take your physical condition and fitness for air travel into account when planning your journey. If you have a pre-existing condition, suffer from general debility and/or require frequent medication, you should speak to your GP before travelling.

After a serious illness, injury and/or operation the periods you should wait before travelling by air, as a guideline, are as follows:

• Heart attack / Cardiac infarction: 8 weeks (12 weeks after a serious cardiac infarction)
• Stroke: 8 weeks
• Thoracic and abdominal operations: 6 weeks
• Cranial operations: 6 – 12 months
• Eye operations: 1 – 3 months
• Fractures: within the first four days carriage may be permitted under exceptional circumstances, provided medical transport is available or the passenger has a doctor's certificate confirming that it is safe for him/her to fly. After four days the passenger can be flown with a plaster cast but it is recommended that the cast be split. Passengers with a closed plaster cast need to produce a doctor's certificate if feasible.
• Pneumothorax (lung rupture): 6 – 8 weeks

If you have an infectious disease, such as infectious hepatitis, open TBC, chicken-pox, measles or German measles, you will not be able to travel until you have made a full recovery.

You will need to notify the Service Centre » at least 7 days prior to departure of any serious illnesses, recent operations and special medical requirements, as the medical service may need to make an assessment in individual cases. You should also notify the Service Centre at least 7 days prior to departure if you require a personal oxygen supply on board.

Vaccinations: When travelling to some countries you will need to be vaccinated or inoculated against specific diseases. Before booking your trip, please contact a doctor qualified in travel medicine, the travel medicine information system of the airberlin group’s medical service at www.bad-gmbh.de » or the health authorities of your destination or transit country.

Information about transporting medication: If you have medication that you constantly require, you should carry this in your cabin baggage; other medication should be carried in your checked baggage. If you are diabetic, please remember to carry sufficient amounts of insulin for the entire flight in your cabin baggage so that you always have it to hand. You should also carry a medical note from your GP confirming that you require this medication.

For further information please go to Patient transport ambulance » or to Flying in pregnancy » and Passengers with special needs » on board airberlin flights.

Health Requirements for U.S. Travel »