What Happens When There’s an In-Flight Emergency? How Airlines and Passengers Are Supposed to Respond

This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on October 30, 2026, with current information.

A cabin crew member in need of oxygen on a flight from Auckland to Brisbane, eight passengers struck down by food poisoning en route to Glasgow from Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt: In-flight medical emergencies can be scary, but a Duke University study from 2025 found that most are not urgent.

Still, it’s helpful for passengers to understand the emergency response process—and what they should do—in case they ever feel sick on a flight or see someone else who’s not feeling well. We asked a few experts for advice and insight: a flight attendant with 30 years of experience, a certified registered flight nurse, and two emergency physicians. They explain what exactly happens during in-flight medical emergencies, how the flight crew and medical professionals respond, and what passengers should—and shouldn’t—do. Here’s what they said.

How common are in-flight medical emergencies?

A study conducted by Duke Health researchers and published in JAMA in September 2025 found that one in every 212 flights involved a medical emergency. This data is based on 77,790 in-flight medical events reported between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, across 84 airlines. Researchers report that of those flights with medical emergencies, about 8 percent resulted in the affected passenger(s) being taken to the hospital after landing. Just 1.7 percent of in-flight medical emergencies were serious enough to divert the plane.

Who responds when someone has a medical emergency on a plane?

At the first sign of a medical emergency, flight attendants are the primary line of defense. "[We] are trained to handle any type of emergency that may happen in flight, from using a [defibrillator] along with CPR to providing oxygen after a seizure,” says Heather Poole, who has been a flight attendant for a U.S.-based airline for more than 30 years. “We go to a yearly training to review procedures and learn new techniques when things change.”

Flight attendants must follow strict protocols, which involve communicating with the pilots and on-the-ground medical services that provide access to nurses and doctors who can give step-by-step instructions for administering care as needed.

Dr. Christine Hall, a London-based general practitioner, emergency medicine doctor, and aesthetic physician and pharmacist, recounts being awoken to an announcement of is there a doctor onboard? “In my case it was to help a 16-year-old-girl who was semi-conscious. The priority is to assess how urgently the patient needs medical or hospital care. Can the flight continue to its destination? Should an ambulance be waiting on the other end? Does the fight need to land immediately?

All doctors have some experience of dealing with emergencies,” Dr. Hall told Afar, “[but] there is no specific training for dealing with medical emergencies on a plane. The closest you might get is in pre-hospital emergency care medicine. You have to adapt to the environment and make the best use of what’s available. The cabin crew are trained in first aid and emergency procedures and they can contact medical professionals on the ground for advice, which is really helpful.”

Bob Bacheler is the managing director of Flying Angels, Inc., which transports people on commercial airlines with a flight nurse or doctor. He’s also a certified flight registered nurse (CFRN), and says it’s best practice for medical personnel to always travel with a copy of their licenses so that flight attendants can verify their qualifications; it’s also company policy for Flying Angels employees.

What should you do during an in-flight medical emergency?

“Alert a member of the cabin crew as soon as you realize someone is unwell,” cautions Dr. Hall. “They’re trained to deal with these situations and can get things moving quickly, including contacting medical support on the ground and working with the pilots if a decision needs to be made about what happens next.” She adds that “it’s important to respect the passenger’s privacy while they’re receiving medical attention.”

“The primary goal in a medical emergency is the safety and well-being of the passenger experiencing the emergency,” says Bacheler. “You can help without being a medical professional simply by offering what assistance you can—or just staying out of the way.”

Flight attendant Poole stresses, “The most helpful things passengers can do during an in-flight emergency is to wait until everything has calmed down to ask us questions about connecting flights or for more drinks.” She adds, “I’ve been on the floor with an unconscious passenger when a passenger across the aisle rang their call light to get a cocktail.”

Dr. Hall, too, emphasizes the importance of remaining calm. “My first advice [for passengers] would be not to panic. Medical emergencies can of course be very stressful, but keeping calm and keeping noise to a minimum is helpful to those dealing with the emergency, where stress will be high and communication will be key.”

How can you help?

“If you have medical training, make yourself known to the crew so they can decide how best to involve you,” says Dr. Hall. “Even if you’re not medically trained, there are still ways to help. It can help to have an extra person or two willing to help—in flight crew terms, that’s an able-bodied assistant, or ABA. In a genuine emergency, the more help the better,” she adds, “provided everyone works together and follows the crew’s instructions. There are many things that can be done under the guidance or instruction of a doctor that will help a fellow passenger significantly, [such as] holding someone’s legs up high in the event of fainting, time keeping during a cardiac arrest, or holding and pushing through IV fluids.”

And good samaritans shouldn’t worry about whether they’ll be sued, at least in the United States. Thanks to the Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998, volunteer physicians or other people who offer assistance during an in-flight medical emergency are protected from legal liability, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct.

You can also help others by taking care your own health before you board. “In medicine, we always say, ‘prevention is better than cure’,” says Dr. Hall, “and boarding a flight when you are sick is not a good idea—both for you and your fellow travelers. With that in mind, travel insurance is always a good idea.”

What medical equipment do airplanes carry?

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The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has a list of medical supplies U.S. airlines are required to carry onboard. These include an AED machine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); a first-aid kit containing supplies like alcohol wipes, gauze, bandages, a stethoscope, IV equipment; and medicines like antihistamines and epinephrine, both used for allergic reactions.

In August 2026, the FAA proposed giving airlines flexibility about what emergency medical supplies and equipment need to be carried aboard commercial flights, reported Reuters. As of this writing, there have not yet been any changes to FAA requirements for onboard medical kits.

Dr. Hall says, “You’re used to assessing patients as a doctor, checking their vital signs and working out what’s going on, but doing that at 30,000 feet is very different. You don’t have the same equipment or resources you’d have in a hospital. The items you get and the quality really depends on the airline and even the aircraft. Emergency situations are stressful, and to have a disorganized kit or a kit where it is hard to see what is available can waste time in situations where time is critical.”

She adds that in her own experience, “I had an old-fashioned blood pressure cuff that requires a stethoscope to use it—not a problem in the sense that we are trained in how to use these, but almost impossible when the sound of the aircraft drowns out what you are trying to listen to.”

Do planes divert for medical emergencies?

Depending on the severity of the situation, a decision is made whether the flight will continue to its original destination or make an emergency landing, also known as a diversion, to a nearby airport.

There’s no official policy or government regulation regarding when a flight should be diverted. It’s a complicated equation that involves assessing many different variables: the status of the passenger with the medical issue, whether the closest airport has adequate resources to assist the passenger, and whether the diversion will require dumping fuel—to name a few.

"[Medical professionals] are taking responsibility for the health and wellness of the patient, but at the end of the day, the pilot is in command of that aircraft and is responsible for the safety of hundreds of passengers and crew,” explains Jared Ross, a Charleston-based board-certified emergency physician. “Ultimately, the decision rests with the pilot of the aircraft to determine are you going to divert and where are you going to divert. And usually they’re very, very receptive to what [they] need to do.”

Duke Health’s study published in JAMA last year found that only 1.7 percent of in-flight medical emergencies (of the nearly 78,000 events reviewed) led to a flight diversion. The authors wrote, “Physicians were the most frequently involved [medical volunteers], providing care in nearly two-thirds of cases where a medical volunteer assisted . . . and their involvement was significantly associated with increased odds of diversion. However, our data establish only an association, not causation, making it unclear whether medical volunteer involvement contributed to more diversions or reflected the greater complexity of these events. The observed association between medical involvement and aircraft diversion likely reflects confounding by indication, as physicians are more often called upon during higher-acuity events.”

In Dr. Hall’s Case, the 16 year old “had not eaten or drank fluids properly for two days. She was dehydrated and in pain, and with some fluids and pain relief she improved significantly and the flight continued as planned. In fact, she improved to the point that she stepped off the plane herself and was met by her father in arrivals in her home country.”

Flight attendant Poole adds, “I’ve been a flight attendant for 30 years and I’ve never had anyone pass away in-flight, so I guess all my experiences with medical emergencies in flight have been successful. On that note, I’d like to thank all the doctors and nurses who volunteer their time when we page for a doctor or medical professional to help us.”