Travelling with health concerns
Our top priority at WestJet is the health, safety, and comfort of our guests and crew. Guests are advised that air travel may negatively affect their overall medical condition. If a medical emergency occurs onboard an aircraft, coordinating an unplanned landing to access high-quality ground medical care can take additional time to coordinate.
If you are affected by any of the medical conditions listed below, we recommend you review your plans and this information with your physician to ensure you are safe to fly before confirming your travel.
Please click on the buttons below to access a printable version of our Medical Information Form and our Information for Health Care Providers Document.
Any charges incurred for the completion of this form will be at your expense. WestJet will not provide you with compensation if you are not approved for accommodation. Please note: Medical Information Forms will be retained for a minimum of three years and handled in accordance with the WestJet Privacy Policy.
Follow up with your physician to discuss whether you should travel if you are sick or unwell before departure. All guests who appear sick or unwell at the airport may be subject to medical screening at the discretion of our WestJet agents or cabin crew.
If you have one or more of the following medical conditions, please review your health status with your physician to determine if you need to submit our Medical Information Form.
- Active infectious conditions such as, but not limited to, tuberculosis, chicken pox and measles
- Blood conditions:
- Clotting disorders where your condition and treatment require monitoring by your physician
- Leukemia
- Severe anemia
- Broken bones/fractures:
- Casted limb within 48 hours of departure
- Cancer with active treatment
- Cognitive, behavioral and psychological conditions:
- History of condition deteriorating during previous flights
- Not orientated x3 (to person/place/time)
- Unstable/unpredictable or aggressive behavior/agitation
- Ear, nose, sinus or throat disorders:
- Current ear infection with the inability to clear ears
- Eye surgery where gas has been instilled and not absorbed
- Post-operative middle ear or nasal surgery within 10 days of departure
- Recent jaw surgery within a week of departure
- Tonsillectomy within 3 weeks of departure
- Gastrointestinal issues:
- Abdominal surgery within 14 days of departure
- Bleeding within 10 days of departure
- Laparoscopic surgery within 5 days of departure
- Heart conditions and lung conditions:
- Currently symptomatic or unstable
- Inability to walk 50m without significant shortness of breath or chest pain
- Oxygen is required during the flight — please discuss with your physician whether you need medical clearance to travel
- Recent deterioration
- Infant:
- 7 days old or less
- Complex medical needs
- Premature
- Medical procedures and surgeries:
- Surgery within 14 days of departure
- Neurological conditions:
- Head trauma less than 48 hours of departure
- Seizures within a month of departure
- Stroke within 14 days of departure
- Transient ischemic attack within 72 hours of departure
- Pregnancy:
- Singleton equal to or greater than 36 weeks gestation
- Multiple equal to or greater than 32 weeks gestation
- Recent medical event on board a commercial aircraft or at the airport
- Severe allergies
Air travel with medical conditions
There are numerous factors to consider when determining if your patient is medically fit to fly. Air travel can have low humidity, turbulence, prolonged periods of immobility, and requires a patient to sit upright in an aircraft seat. Several other factors can lead to deterioration of a medical condition on board, including:
- Gas expansion at altitude - As an aircraft ascends to cruising altitude, any gas trapped in the body will expand. In fact, the volume of gas can expand up to 30%, causing significant issues in specific instances. It may be important for your patient to consider delaying air travel if they have had recent surgery (especially in a small space such as the eye or ear) or recent pneumothorax (collapsed lung).
- Altitude and its effect on oxygen levels - Our aircraft are pressurized to altitudes equivalent to 5000-8000 ft above sea level. At this altitude, there is less oxygen available. Healthy individuals will not notice this change, but those suffering from severe anemia, cardiac or pulmonary conditions could be at risk of severe hypoxia. Some individuals may require a Personal Oxygen Concentrator (POC) on board an aircraft to supplement their oxygen needs, even if they do not require oxygen on the ground. In these instances, consider delaying air travel until their condition is stable. To learn more information about oxygen needs, click here.
- Limited access to medical care on board - In the event of a medical issue on board, our crews are trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, access to higher level medical care can take a prolonged amount of time, depending on many factors.
When should a WestJet Medical Information Form be completed (MEDIF)?
Please consider filling out a WestJet Medical Information Form for your patient if they have any of the following conditions or illnesses:
a) Any medical condition or illness that may deteriorate while on board the aircraft and potentially impact other guests. Examples may include severe heart disease, active infectious diseases, neurological issues, or unstable psychiatric illnesses.
b) Any medical condition or illness that may worsen because of conditions on board the aircraft at cruising altitude. Examples may include a recent surgery where air is introduced into a body cavity, recent epistaxis, severe respiratory disease, or recent pneumothorax.
c) Any potentially contagious infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, chicken pox, or influenza.
A completed WestJet Medical Information Form confirms that your patient has been assessed prior to travel. The type of medical information gathered complies with international air travel guidelines. The information provided is retained in accordance with WestJet’s Privacy Policy and the requirements of the Canadian Transportation Agency's Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations.
The guidance provided is in accordance with the International Air Transport Association’s guidelines.
Cancer
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Any cancer undergoing chemotherapy treatment |
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Cardiac and vascular conditions
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Ablation therapy |
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Angina |
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Angiography |
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Angioplasty with or without stent |
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Cardiac surgery |
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Congestive heart failure |
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Cyanotic congenital heart disease |
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Deep venous thrombosis |
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Hypertension |
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Myocardial infarction (STEMI and NSTEMI) |
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Pacemaker or defibrillator implantation |
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Pulmonary edema |
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Pulmonary embolism |
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Central nervous system disorders
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Cognitive impairment including dementia |
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CVA (stroke) |
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Head trauma |
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Seizures |
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Syncope |
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TIA |
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Ear, nose and throat disorders
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Dental procedures |
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Epistaxis (nosebleed) |
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Middle ear surgery |
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Nasal surgery |
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Otitis media or sinusitis |
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Tonsillectomy |
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Wired jaw |
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Gastrointestinal disorders
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Diverticulitis |
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Gastrointestinal bleed |
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Major abdominal surgery (bowel resection, open hysterectomy, renal surgery) |
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Nausea/vomiting/diarrhea |
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Uncomplicated laparoscopic surgery (appendectomy, tubal ligation, gall bladder removal) |
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Hematological conditions
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Acute leukemia |
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Anemia |
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Bleeding disorder |
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Clotting disorder |
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Sickle cell disease |
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Ophthalmologist disorders
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Cataract surgery |
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Corneal laser surgery |
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Intra-ocular surgery |
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Penetrating eye injury |
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Orthopedic conditions
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Arthroscopic joint surgery |
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Full plaster cast flight >2 hours |
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Major hip, knee, or ankle surgery |
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Spinal surgery |
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Pregnancy
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Complicated Pregnancy or history of preterm labour |
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Miscarriage |
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Singleton pregnancy |
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Multiple pregnancy |
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Newborn |
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Psychological conditions
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Chronic psychiatric disorders |
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Respiratory conditions
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Asthma |
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Chest surgery (lobectomy, pleurectomy, open lung biopsy) |
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COPD, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, pleural effusion or hemothorax |
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Lung cancer |
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Oxygen |
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Pneumonia |
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Pneumothorax |
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Pulmonary Hypertension |
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Ventilators |
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Miscellaneous conditions
Diagnosis | MEDIF is not required if all criteria are met | Considerations |
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Allergies and anaphylaxis |
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Communicable diseases |
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Patients treated with radionuclides or permanent brachytherapy |
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Scuba diving |
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Terminal illness |
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References:
Fitness to fly for passengers with cardiovascular disease, The report of the working group of the British Cardiovascular Society, Heart 2010;ii1-ii16. doi:10.1136/hrt.2010.203091
Coker, R. K., Armstrong, A., Church, A. C., Holmes, S., Naylor, J., Pike, K., Saunders, P., Spurling, K., & Vaughn, P. (2022). BTS Clinical Statement on air travel for passengers with respiratory disease. Thorax, 10(1136), 1-22.
Medical manual. IATA. https://www.iata.org/en/publications/medical-manual/. Published July 12, 2020. Accessed September 8, 2022.
Managing passengers with stable respiratory disease planning air travel: British Thoracic Society recommendations. Thorax, Sept. 2011, Vol 66, Supplement 1.
Thibeault C, Evans AD, Dowdall NP. Asma Medical Guidelines for air travel: Fitness to fly and Medical Clearances. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance. 2015;86(7):656-656. doi:10.3357/amhp.4222.2015.
NYHA: New York Heart Association NYHA Class Symptoms
I No symptoms and no limitation in ordinary physical activity, e.g. no shortness of breath when walking, climbing stairs etc.
II Mild symptoms (mild shortness of breath) and slight limitation during ordinary activity.
Ill Marked limitation in activity due to symptoms, even during less-than-ordinary activity, e.g. walking short distances (20-100 m). Comfortable only at rest.
IV Severe limitations. Experiences symptoms even while at rest. Mostly bedbound patients.
Access our Medical Information Form to fill out with your physician. The WestJet’s Information for Health Care Providers Document contains information your doctor will need to consider regarding your safety to fly. Any charges incurred for the completion of this form will be at your expense. WestJet will not provide you with compensation if you are not approved for accommodation. Please note: Medical Information Forms will be retained for a minimum of three years and handled in accordance with the WestJet Privacy Policy.
Refunds of any fare type will not be provided for flights taken before an approval has been granted. All fees and fare guidelines for fare purchased will apply to previously booked flights.
If your travel itinerary includes a flight operated by another airline, please contact them to ensure you are meeting their requirements as it relates to your medical condition. Completed forms can be emailed to [email protected] or sent in via fax to 1-866-737-1202.
A medical certificate from your physician, dated within 10 days of the departing flight, will be accepted as an alternative to the WestJet Medical Information Form. The medical certificate must indicate your prognosis for a safe flight with no extraordinary medical assistance required on board, and confirm there is no indication of a contagious disease that would pose a risk to the safety of others on board.
We encourage all guests to review WestJet's Information for Health Care Providers Document with their physician.
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