Super jumbo jets 'will need full-time medics onboard'

Scotsman.com ^ | 22-Mar-06 14:09 GMT | Staff

[Paleo Conservative]

THE next generation of super jumbo jets will need a full-time medic on board, the Royal College of Nurses said today.

Rita Mody, a committee member of the college's In-flight Nurses Association, said the move is needed to make sure people who fall ill can get care immediately.

Statistics show that one in 1400 passengers have an onboard medical emergency and eight per cent of those incidents result in an unscheduled landing. Ms Mody said the high numbers of passengers that can be carried on Airbus A380s will lead to a "high probability that someone will fall ill".

The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger plane and can carry as many as 840 people.

Virgin Atlantic, which is putting the A380 into service in 2009, said its staff had extensive medical training. A spokeswoman said the airline planned to board no more than 550 passengers.

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.

[ncountylee]

The might need police too.

[COEXERJ145]

In the early days of passenger air travel, all of the stewardesses were also nurses.

[Zeroisanumber]

Hmmmm... That might be a cool job to have.

[keithtoo]

That is one Bullwinkle of a plane. I see a very dim future for that Euro-Tank.

[Revolting cat!]

The might need police too.

Yep, and a democratically elected gummint, with all the required departments, starting with Welfare, Justice, la Migra, Energy, Agriculture (after all the US Dept of Agriculture has offices in every US country, just about, agriculture or no agriculture.)

[null and void]

I think of it as a irresistible terrorist target.

[Turbopilot]

High-density versions of the 747 have already carried close to 600 passengers, with no need for a nurse. This sounds like a job program for nurses in the union who made the claim.

However, good grief, that's a lot of landing gear. More seriously, I think the 747 and its variants were and still are the logical limits to mass air travel, while the A380 will end up being just too big and/or too inefficient. It will no doubt be safe and useful, but its market will end up too limited to make it a commercial success, in my opinion.

[CarrotAndStick]

PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY - P & O

http://users.synflux.com.au/~sylcec/oland.htm


FARES
Passages to India with P & O were not considered cheap, certainly there were occasional letters of complaint published in the Times of India about the cost of this near monopoly service.

In 1864 some rates of passage from Southampton to Bombay were:


Single berth in General Cabin £100
Married Couples in Reserved Cabin £250
Children aged 3 to under 10 travelling with a parent £50


Baggage allowance for 1st Class passengers was 336lbs personal baggage, with 186lbs each for children and servants.
In reserved accommodation Passengers taking a whole cabin were allowed 4.5 cwt; Married couple allowance was 9cwt

Extra baggage could be taken (if there is room) at the rate of 10/- per cwt from Southampton and ports to Alexandria; £1 per cwt from Suez plus 6/- per cwt transit expenses through Egypt, this latter amount to be collected on board.

From Marseilles to Alexandria the fare was £20 1st class, or 2nd class (mainly for servants) £10.

All ships claimed to have an experienced surgeon on board.

[COEXERJ145]

Ironically the largest customer by far for the A380 is a Middle Eastern airline, Emirates which is the airline for the UAE.

[null and void]

Good thing møøslimbs never kill other møøslimbs...

[CindyDawg]

Sadly, I agree. What's the benefit for passengers though? I would like to think a lower cost but I doubt it,

[CindyDawg]

If you have fourteen hundred people flying every hour now , then shouldn't a medic be on each plane, because statistics show someone will get sick? What's the difference?

[Frwy]

Shucks, I guess that will add a buck or two to the price of a ticket.

[thoughtomator]

One SAM ends that franchise for sure.

[Experiment 6-2-6]

My heir apparent and I were on a flight from LAX to San Francisco this past February..

First they asked if a Doctor was onboard..

Luckily, a paramedic was on the flight.

THEN, they asked if a translater was onboard, who could speak chinese and English...

Luckily, we were on a short hop. I would imagine on long 9-10 hour flights, it would be a prudent thing to have based on numbers....

[Ruth A.]

Statistics show that one in 1400 passengers have an onboard medical emergency and eight per cent of those incidents result in an unscheduled landing.

Out of who many air travelers? Methinks the statics is hiding something.

[hosepipe]

The airbus is a terrorist trap.. The urge to fly one into the Eifle tower will be great.. Even AFTER the muzzies take over France..

[cryptical]

Out of who many air travelers? Methinks the statics is hiding something.

Note they don't specify the severity of the emergency, it could be anything from a head ache to nausea to a heart attack...