IATA commissioned this Medical Manual to provide up to date information on airline medical issues to its members, especially those which may not have the benefit of an in-house medical advisor. The practice of airline medicine has changed substantially since the last edition of the Medical Manual was written and this is reflected in the fully revised document. The Manual will be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant to the needs of IATA’s members.
The Medical Manual has been compiled with the expert advice of the IATA Medical Advisory Group. This comprises the medical directors of 12 airlines from all regions of the world. The knowledge and experience of the members of the Medical Advisory Group has been utilised to create a document that IATA is confident will meet the needs of airlines throughout the world.
The Medical Manual covers many of the facets of airline administration and operations from the medical perspective. It draws on the various medical specialties that are essential to the safe and smooth operations of an airline and includes public health, aviation medicine, occupational health and travel medicine. The content has been changed to reflect current issues of interest within the airline industry. Additionally, links are provided to carefully researched websites which may be used for further information.