UK airlines to ban swine flu passengers from flying

As the H1N1 swine flu virus continues its rapid spread throughout the world, two British airlines - British Airways and Virgin Atlantic - have announced that they will prevent suspected H1N1-infected passengers from boarding.

The H1N1 swine flu virus was recently noted as being the fastest-spreading pandemic on record, and the likeliest cause of its rapid reach is found in the abundant mobility that airlines provide. The United Kingdom has been hit particularly hard with the H1N1 virus, and now two British airlines have announced that they intend to keep the suspected H1N1-infected from flying on their planes. "Passengers with swine flu will be stopped from boarding flights, two major airlines confirmed today, as the Department of Health warned tourists who contract the illness abroad not to travel home until their symptoms have gone," The Guardian reported on Sunday. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have provided their boarding staff with training on what to do if they suspect a passenger has the swine flu virus. Virgin added that the airline would allow a passenger to fly provided they supply a fit-to-fly document from a doctor or a hospital. Passengers who contract the virus abroad are being asked not to fly home until they have fully recovered. "The travel association, ABTA, said the precautions were 'sensible' and stressed the cost of flight cancellations due to the virus should be covered by travel insurance," according to The Guardian. A BA spokesman told The Guardian: "The symptoms for H1N1 can be similar to other illnesses. If we have concerns about a customer, or a customer is concerned, then we have a 24-hour medical service we can call to give advice to staff."