Qantas: Human guinea pig for extra-long haul flight

For decades, travellers have stoically endured jet lag as an unavoidable menace on long journeys. As airlines push for record-breaking non-stop flights, WOLE SHADARE writes on debilitating symptoms of extra-long haul flights

Trial

It is scary but it is going to happen as Australian carrier, Qantas, wants to figure that out with its first ever non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, a venture it calls Project Sunrise. This has caught the eyes of the world on the endurance limit of man. The feat is expected to surpass the 18-hour flight, which was then a record. Can a 20-hour flight ever be bearable?

These ultra-long-haul flights are becoming more efficient and economically viable. They’re also a slog for passengers.  But is there a point where a super-long flight becomes a public health risk?

If all goes to plan, travellers might be able to make an uninterrupted 20-hour flight from London or New York to Sydney. Qantas, the Australian national airline, is trialling “ghost flights” with 50 passengers and crew.

The 10,000-mile trip, which took off Friday night from New York and landed Sunday morning local time, would be the world’s longest nonstop flight, and Qantas wants travellers to get on Sydney time as soon as possible.

The test flight included 50 people including pilots, crew and passengers, along with researchers watching how everyone handles the ride. Success could pave the way for regular service between Sydney, New York and London.

Watchful eyes

Qantas teamed up with researchers from the University of Sydney and setting up the Boeing 787-9 as a laboratory, testing recipes, lighting schemes, temperatures and stretching exercises specially designed to combat jet lag on six volunteer passengers. They all sat in business class.

Airlines have recently been testing limits on long-haul flights, with Singapore Airlines reviving its 18.5-hour flight from Singapore to New York in 2018.

As the proliferation of super-long flights increases, efforts to counter the debilitating symptoms of jet lag are turning into a billion-dollar industry.

From optimizing pilot rotation to flight attendant breaks, to minimizing passenger jet lag and improving both physical and mental wellbeing, we’ve reached the ‘final frontier’ in passenger jet travel. Now it’s time to find out how we’ll hold up, and how airlines can adapt in a uniquely marketable way.

Risky to health

A medical doctor, who spoke to New Telegraph, said that from a purely medical standpoint, a 20-hour  flight can be risky.

She added that long flights increase the occurrence of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT); in layman’s terms, serious blood clots, stressing that lack of physical movement can also lead to anxiety and breathing recycled air for that long has its own list of side effects. I’ll take the layover.

One of the more serious effects of a long haul flight is, of course, jet lag. But beyond the obvious symptom of being sleepy in the day, or awake at night, jetlag according to a United States based Aero Medical doctor, Dr. Sesi Michael affects the whole physiology including cortisol levels, which affect passengers physical functioning.

Ways to recover

It can take travellers up to 48 hours for their diurnal rhythms to recover from long haul flights and Dr Michael advises postponing important functions such as business meetings — particularly for passengers travelling east into shortening days.

Ankle exercises to mitigate cramps

One may assume that deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the dull business of compression stockings is best left to the bingo brigade. But anyone with a DVT risk — for example, with a family history of DVT — needs to keep up their circulation on a plane.

Evidence suggests that anyone on a journey four hours or longer should get up and walk around because foot and ankle exercises need pressure — namely, your own body weight — to work best.

Loud noises damage hearing

People often spend a long haul flight watching films or listening to music, but given the ambient noise from fellow passengers and the nearby 140-decibel jet engine, passengers are likely to jack volumes to dangerous levels.

Radiation

me people fly, they are exposed to cosmic ionizing radiation from space, which has been linked to cancer and reproductive problems by the World Health Organization.

For most occasional passengers, it’s not really a consideration. Pilots and crew members, however, are exposed to so much radiation that they’re officially considered radiation workers by the US Centers for Disease Control, with the largest average annual effective dose of all American radiation-exposed workers.

However, the radiation most travellers are exposed to in a given year falls comfortably within the recommended radiation exposure for a member of the public. “The very frequent travellers who are flying on long-haul flights could potentially go above the recommended limits of radiation exposure,” says Barrett, who has calculated how much radiation flyers are exposed to.

“But that’s not within the region where you’d have any real health concerns.” It’s unclear how harmful these still-low levels of radiation exposure are, or if they are harmful at all, he says.

Medical emergencies

Flying stresses the body. The combination of very low air pressure, oxygen and humidity is no one’s friend, while dehydration and cramped conditions leave most people feeling pretty irritable. For the elderly, or those with a pre-existing condition, ultra-long-haul flights can sometimes precipitate things going wrong. Cardiovascular issues, such as fainting and dizziness, do happen, though they are rare. They are more likely on very long flights, however.

Pilots and other flight crewmembers do spend enough time in the air that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention consider them radiation workers. The agency recommends they try to limit their time on flights that are very long, fly at high altitudes, or fly over the poles.

Last line

For customers, the key will be minimising jet lag and creating an environment where they are looking forward to a restful, enjoyable flight.