flying with asbestosis and oxygen - British Lung Foun...

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flying with asbestosis and oxygen

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Hi I'm new on here and need some advice on flying with oxygen , this year instead of driving down to cornwall we decided to fly, all booked and paid for by my dad he is 85 and has asbestosis he is on oxygen throughout the night and a couple of hours during the day, he was assessed at hospital and is ok to fly with oxygen but the doctors practice is making it very difficult for us, and have no info to what we have to do, I believe the hossy sent a report to his docs, but they are not making it easy for us, so he needs 2ltr of oxygen which we have the portable bottles but don't know if they are suitable, I rang flybe and answered some questions best to my knowledge and they say I don't need a fit to fly statement but I want one just to be safe, though the docs are asking what I want putting on it as they don't like to say he is fit to fly, like I say flybe have booked us on the plane with the oxygen but I havnt got a clue what these different oxygen bottles or portable machines are and the difference, continuous or intermittent, some people told he he cannot take the portable he has at home he will have to hire some, and some have said he can take what he has at home, the last thing I want is to get to the airport and be refused, there is not a lot of help at all, please can anybody with experience help, my dad is stable

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Look at the following link.

If pulse dose is being used there is less of a issue, pulse dose is a gas cylinder with a conserver.

Continuous requires some form filling.

Continuous is when the cannula and tubing come directly from the cylinder.

They appear to allow gas cylinders or portable concentrator, but don’t allow liquid oxygen.


Hi - the info for flying with oxygen etc on Flybe can be found here:

I have flown numerous times and the main thing you need from your GP is 1) A completed Medical Information form ('MEDIF' you download it & print this from the Flybe site) which you then send to Flybe, and a letter that you can carry on you to produce during your journey re your dad's suitability to fly. I will type out word for word what my GP put on my letter so you can suggest the wording to your GP if he is unsure (note that top of my letter gave date, my full name & dob, NHS number & address) :

To Whom it May Concern

Dear Sir/Madam

This is to confirm that the above named person will be traveling in the near future and will need to travel with a portable oxygen concentrator as part of her essential medical treatment. I am grateful for her smooth passage through security with this equipment.

Should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact us via the number at the top of the page.

Yours faithfully etc.

As for oxygen if you need a portable concentrator for your journey call your dads oxygen provider to discuss it with them as they can supply you with one for the duration of your holiday.

Have a good read of the Flybe page (link above) and download there Medif etc . Good luck and enjoy Cornwall (where I live, incidentally :) )

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Hi Kim I went on a cruise last year and hired a small portable oxygen unit, but it was quite expensive, so I investigated for this years cruise, and have purchased my own portable unit, it is quite small and goes over your shoulder no bigger than a shoulder bag, and not too heavy. I purchased it from Airsep (02) and I found them very helpful. It is quite expensive but I use it when visiting friends and relatives, as it is lest intrusive than the smallest of cylinders, Good luck will be interested to hear how you get on.;


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