Health Conditions That Could Prevent You from Boarding a Plane

November 3, 2025 | 11:57 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - For some people with certain health conditions, flying can be a nightmare. Airlines have the right to deny boarding to passengers who are deemed a risk to themselves or others in the cabin. A recent case involved Mark Mardell, a former BBC political editor with Parkinson's disease, who was denied boarding by Turkish Airlines, despite having flown frequently without incident.

According to The Independent, on October 29, 2025, Mark Mardell, a podcast presenter living with Parkinson's disease, was denied boarding. While flying from Istanbul to London, airport staff requested a doctor's note confirming that Mardell was fit to fly. Mardell was forced to spend the night in a hotel and fly home on a different airline the next day.

Turkish Airlines has a special rule requiring passengers with Parkinson's disease or autism to present a medical report in Turkish or English issued at least 10 days before the flight. The airline claims this is for safety reasons, but Mardell and Parkinson's UK protested, arguing that the condition is not actually dangerous in the air. Passengers with Parkinson's disease are simply advised to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, especially if they have low blood pressure.

Conditions That Can Prevent Passengers from Boarding

Beyond Parkinson's disease, many other conditions can result in passengers being denied boarding. According to a report by the Daily Mail on October 29, 2025, airlines are typically wary of infectious diseases, motion sickness, and conditions that could worsen at high altitudes. For instance, unstable heart or lung issues, as well as recent surgeries that leave trapped air in the body, can expand and become painful when cabin pressure is low. Wearing a cast for a broken bone can also be risky because swelling is possible. Many airlines require a doctor's note for women over 28 weeks pregnant or refuse boarding altogether due to concerns about giving birth on the plane.

Minor symptoms such as coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, or the flu may also be a reason for concern. Furthermore, if someone is limping or has recently recovered from an illness, staff may become suspicious and demand an explanation.

According to SkyCare UK, if an airline declares a passenger "unfit to fly," the passenger is not allowed to board. However, passengers who feel they were wrongly denied boarding can report it to aviation authorities, such as the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Cabin crew are trained to handle emergencies. However, if an emergency landing is required because of a single passenger, it adds complexity and cost. The best advice is for passengers to inform the cabin crew about their health conditions before takeoff.

PUTRI AZ ZAHRA SUHERMAN 

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